The Sentinel

Tags

1970's, Arthur Kennedy, Ava Gardner, Beverly D'Angelo, Burgess Meredith, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Walken, Cristina Raines, Deborah Raffin, Eli Wallach, Horror, Jeff Goldblum, Jerry Orbach, John Carradine, José Ferrer, Martin Balsam, Michael Winner, Sylvia Miles, The Sentinel

Film Title

The Sentinel

Director

Michael Winner

Starring

• Cristina Raines as Alison Parker
• Chris Sarandon as Michael Lerman
• John Carradine as Father Halliran
• Burgess Meredith as Charles Chazen
• Ava Gardner as Miss Logan
• Deborah Raffin as Jennifer
• Arthur Kennedy as Monsignor
• Eli Wallach as Detective Gatz
• Christopher Walken as Detective Rizzo
• Martin Balsam as Professor Ruzinsky
• José Ferrer as Robed Figure
• Sylvia Miles as Gerde
• Beverly D’Angelo as Sandra
• Jeff Goldblum as Fashion Photographer
• Jerry Orbach as Director

A 70’s horror with an all-star cast, I was expecting The Sentinel to be a treat. Alas, it was a shoddy mess that descended into ludicrous and incomprehensible places. There are nary any positives in this film, which could have been something special, fur floundered into the abyss of rubbish.

Alison is a young, pretty model living in New York. Though in a relationship with slick lawyer Michael Lerman, she is reluctant to move in with him or consider engagement. She decides to find her own place to live. While seemingly living the high life, Alison has baggage in her memories that still haunt her and refuse to let go. Continuing looking for a place, she is recommended by realtor Miss Logan, a beautiful Brooklyn Heights apartment. She notices a man in the top apartment window. Miss Logan informs her that it is Father Halliran, a blind priest who seems to sit there without ever really moving. Thrilled at the scope of the place and the reasonable amount being asked for, Alison moves in. Shortly after arrival, Alison encounters some of the strange tenants of the building, starting with the peculiar and intrusive Charles Chazen. Gradually, Alison’s nights are disturbed by horrific visions of her troubled past that involved an attempted suicide and is plagued by unnerving noises from another apartment. Frightened yet very curious, Alison is then shocked to learn that only she and Father Halliran reside in the complex, with no one having previously occupied it for three years. Becoming more alarmed by events that may or may not be real, Alison crumbles completely. Somehow, she is linked to a centuries old pattern that the apartment block has which poses a deadly and potentially otherworldly trouble. Can Alison really figure out why these visions appear and what sinister designs are being made for her?

Michael Winner gets some atmosphere going at the start, but his lack of taste and frankly trying direction makes The Sentinel really drag and go into a place of boredom. He plays up the overt sensationalism and outrageous moments to an extent that they aren’t frightening or remotely chilling. The visual style is one positive point( even though it’s sadly only one such instance) finding a certain gloss and at least setting some spooky aura. This however is drowned out by the sheer implausibility and inanity  of it all, that causes The Sentinel to be a major let down. The Sentinel film that could have been something if thought had actually gone into. What we are left with is a confused and histrionic film, that doesn’t generate hardly any terror or resonance. There is one scene that is rightly celebrated for its scare factor, but apart from that, The Sentinel is laughable and deplorable. I mean, I’m game for some campy and melodramatic moments in horror, often they can be quite fun. But the overload, coupled with a dragging, not to mention hard to follow story, was too much for me to take. And there is one thing in The Sentinel that really left a bad taste in my mouth. When all hell breaks loose and the supposed fright of the movie is in swing, one manifestation of evil is depicted as people with prominent deformities. The main thing I took issue with was that the people used were actually deformed themselves. When you put a physical defect or disability on screen, it should be done with respect. Here, it equates the deformities with evil, which really didn’t lie well with me. It felt exploitative and mean-spirited, especially as the implication it made was in very poor taste. The music score is passable with some unusual passages, yet like the rest of The Sentinel, over cooks events to a laughable degree.

As aforementioned, The Sentinel has an unbelievable cast. The sad news is, hardly any of them are given anything to work with and show off their skills. Cristina Raines, in the lead of tormented model, is basically required to look frightened and pretty. She does both things well enough, but there’s nothing really meaty for her else to do. Chris Sarandon at least tries his best with putting some cocky attitude into the role of the lawyer boyfriend. John Carradine, heavily made up to look older, is pretty effective as the largely silent priest whose eerie presence hangs over the building. Burgess Meredith rocks creepy to the hilt as a pesky and very unusual neighbour, who becomes more than just a common nuisance. Ava Gardner is completely wasted as the realtor of the place, only appearing a handful of times and not equipped with much in the way of action to play. Deborah Raffin is pretty bland as Alison’s best friend, while experienced veteran actor Arthur Kennedy at least contributes some mystery as an enigmatic priest. Eli Wallach and a young Christopher Walken are seen in a thread of the story that makes no sense and wastes the obvious talents of two reliable stars. Martin Balsam and José Ferrer, two fine actors, both appear in blink and you’ll miss it roles which is extremely unfortunate. Sylvia Miles and Beverly D’Angelo certainly have the strangeness down in their parts, but not much else because the script restricts them. Bit parts are also handed to Jeff Goldblum and Jerry Orbach. The mix of old and new stars was supposed to be amazing, but they are never given any time to shine or strut their stuff.

A big mess of a movie that showed potential but quickly became farce, The Sentinel is one to avoid in the horror genre.

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The Jungle Book

Tags

2010's, Adventure, Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Esposito, Idris Elba, Jon Favreau, Lupita Nyong'o, Neel Sethi, Scarlett Johansson, The Jungle Book

Film Title

The Jungle Book

Director

Jon Favreau

Starring

• Neel Sethi as Mowgli
• Ben Kingsley as Bagheera
• Bill Murray as Baloo
• Idris Elba as Shere Khan
• Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha
• Giancarlo Esposito as Akela
• Scarlett Johansson as Kaa
• Christopher Walken as King Louie

When I was first informed that they were doing another version of The Jungle Book, combining live action with CGI, I’ll admit to being a bit skeptical over how successful it would turn out. I’m happy to report however that this interpretation from Disney is a triumph in almost every department, while adding some new touches to the adventure tale. Trust me, you’ll be blown away by this version of the beloved story.

Mowgli is an orphaned man cub, who is raised by a pack of wolves deep in the Indian jungle. He was brought there by the panther Bagheera, who watches out for the young and wild boy. While the wolves treat him as family, the leader of the pack Akela, disapproves of the boy using tricks considered human and wants him to be more like a wolf. Raksha, a female wolf acts as a strong mother figure for Mowgli and considers him her son. Yet as Mowgli grows older, the threats to him become more pronounced. The main one is the reappearance of the evil tiger Shere Khan, who strikes fear in the heart of all the other animals. Having been burned by humans in the past, Shere Khan has a deep hatred for man and seeing Mowgli vows to kill him. Fearing for the safety of young Mowgli, Akela has Bagheera take him back to a man village where it is hoped he will be safe from Shere Khan. Mowgli doesn’t want to leave, but sees that the danger posed to him is great. Yet getting to that village is no easy task as Mowgli and Bagheera become separated and he must fend for himself. Thankfully he encounters Baloo, a lazy but lovable bear who he quickly forms a bond with. Yet there is peril to be found in the jungle in many forms and with Shere Khan attempting to draw him out, it comes down to Mowgli to discover where his place in life is.

Jon Favreau directs with a sure hand, crafting The Jungle Book as an entertaining yet heartfelt production of massive scope. The CGI is quite simply breathtaking and awe-inspiring, worthy of every ounce of praise that has been aimed at it. Nary a frame of The Jungle Book is wasted due to the precision of the direction and the sheer majesty of everything going on. Everything in this Disney production looks so life-like, you could almost touch it and taste it with your senses in every shot. The jungle comes alive on the screen, resplendent with dangers and adventures for young Mowgli, as well as the audience too.  In a different move, the darkness quota is significantly raised like never before. This gives The Jungle Book that something else that balances being a fun adventure with some genuine moments of danger. Moments that signify this shift are plentiful; from the large snake Kaa revealing the past of Mowgli while reeling him in to a large and menacing Orangutan-resembling ape King Louie, who wishes to harness the power of fire. And the biggest one is having Shere Khan as a ferocious beast who was scarred by man and looks frightening from the very moment he appears. I must say this new direction of making things darker really impressed me because it infuses the film with probably the darkest presentation of the source material yet doesn’t forget the atmosphere of fun that children and adults alike can enjoy. The coming of age elements are brought out with deeply riveting and soulful results as Mowgli attempts to find his place. An excellent music score highlights the thrilling adventures and soul of The Jungle Book. It was also a blast hearing some of the songs from the 1967 animated version, but done in other ways to distinguish it and not make the film a remake.

Newcomer Neel Sethi, as the only physical performer in the film, is naturally convincing as the curious and rebellious Mowgli. Considering that he would have been acting against nothing, he marvellously conveys a big load of emotions and reactions that never ring false for a second. The voice cast for the animals that inhabit the jungle are expertly employed and add their own inflections to their parts. I have always found Ben Kingsley as an actor to have something of a stately presence and this feeling of authority is reflected in his voicing of Bagheera, which emanates with wisdom and firmness. The amusing and always joyful Bill Murray is inspired as the honey-guzzling Baloo, who provides the comic moments of the film with a dash of classic Murray sarcasm. A real standout among the voices is Idris Elba as the evil Shere Khan. His booming, resonant voice utilized to maximum effect that makes the creature genuinely scary and filled with rage. Reverberating whenever he shows us, Elba’s voice is a clear winner. The assured and nurturing inflections from Lupita Nyong’o as the motherly Raksha pull out the emotional centre of the story and go a long way to creating moving results. Giancarlo Esposito has the required feelings of strength and leadership in voicing the head wolf of Akela, while the seductive voice of Scarlett Johansson colours the segment with her as Kaa the snake with a hypnotic impact. Christopher Walken’s distinctive voice is put to excellent use as the gigantic King Louie, with him sounding like something of a dodgy deal maker in the gangster mode and a menacing force. As strange as that combination sounds, it works wonderfully for this creation.

Imaginative, lushly directed and filled with something for everyone, The Jungle Book is a wonderful film in every way. Whether it’s the visuals, cast or the story, every department pulls tether to breathe fresh life into the well-known story and put a new stamp on it. I can’t think of a movie of late that has left me so thrilled and excited to talk about.

The Prophecy

Tags

1990's, Christopher Walken, Elias Koteas, Eric Stoltz, Fantasy, Gregory Widen, Horror, Moriah Shining Dove Snyder, The Prophecy, Viggo Mortensen, Virginia Madsen

Film Title

The Prophecy

Director

Gregory Widen

Starring

• Christopher Walken as Gabriel
• Elias Koteas as Thomas Dagget
• Virginia Madsen as Katherine
• Eric Stoltz as Simon
• Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer
• Moriah Shining Dove Snyder as Mary

An ambitious fantasy that sometimes borders on being rather silly, The Prophecy is redeemed by excellent pace, imaginative direction and a very credible cast.

Thomas Dagget is a police detective who has a history with religion.  Many years before, he wanted to become a priest and even wrote a study on the subject of religious history, but after seeing a viciously violent vision of heaven in turmoil he suffered a crisis of faith. So when his religious text is found at a murder scene of an unusual victim, he is called in to investigate. The belongings to the strange creature, which is in fact a dark fallen angel, include an unknown entry into the bible that speaks of a dark soul entering heaven. Thomas soon realises he has stepped into something much darker than he ever imagined and must now face the brewing war between angels that has been predicted centuries before. This won’t be easy as Gabriel has arrived on Earth, angered by God’s rejection and compassion for humans, and now wants to collect the evil soul of a recently deceased colonel. If Gabriel manages to claim the soul and take it back to heaven, then the once peaceful resting place will become overrun with the most evil force there is. Complicating matters for the vicious and very angry Gabriel is that Simon, an angel on the good side of the civil war between seraphs, has got it and placed it inside the body of Mary, a young Native American girl. The young girl soon becomes strangely ill and suffers bouts of possession as the evil spirit inside her takes control. Travelling to Mary’s home town and teaming up with Mary’s caring schoolteacher Katherine and later an unexpected ally in Lucifer, Thomas must find Mary and keep her from the claws of Gabriel as he moves in ever so quickly to his goal of bringing the evil to heaven and tipping the balance in his favour.

As writer and director, Gregory Widen fashions a strange movie in the form of The Prophecy. I must say he brings many dark possibilities to the table and mixes them with religious overtones to a very successful degree. And as hokey as some of the plot is, his assured sense of pace and knack for the unusual keeps the story ticking over nicely with some creepy touches here and there. Admittedly, some of the ideas within The Prophecy become lost in the scheme of things and some needed expansion to be fully interesting. But stylish visuals and a dark sense of humour, provided by both Gabriel and a threatened Lucifer make this exercise in religiously tinged fantasy something to watch. Horror elements abound along with the fantasy, crafting some really brutal scenes of an angelic battleground, a young girl suffering horrifying possessions and Gabriel’s methods of eliminating of those in his way. Some say The Prophecy functions as a thriller of sorts and to a certain extent that’s true, but it works best as a fantasy horror. A superb score of choral voices and marauding drums accentuates the religious overtones of this movie.

Christopher Walken is the real show stopper of the movie, playing the unusual Gabriel. Wrapping the character in a cloak of warped anger, rejected hate and an undeniably morbid sense of humour, Walken clearly is having a great time portraying the fallen seraph, desperate for revenge. It’s safe to say that Walken owns the film with his expertise in the weird and wonderful put on spellbinding show. Elias Koteas brings a gravity and sense of disbelief to this character, despite the part being written rather sketchily. The same goes for Virginia Madsen, who exudes compassion and determination as an ally in the battle against angels. Eric Stoltz is appropriately tense and desperate as Simon, the angel who is tasked with hiding away the dark soul that could reignite the brewing war. Viggo Mortensen, who may only be seen for around 10 minutes, relishes the part of Lucifer, who feels that his dominion over evil is being threatened and forms an unlikely alliance with the humans. Mortensen savours playing the delightfully corrupt character who is not going to let his hold over all things dark be challenged. Moriah Shining Dove Snyder as the young Mary, who becomes taken over by the dark soul residing in her, is actually very good, being sweet one minute and then unnerving because of the possession the next.

Overblown to be sure, but well executed and acted with capability, The Prophecy is if nothing more an interesting fantasy with heavy religious overtones.

A View to a Kill

Tags

007, 1980's, A View to a Kill, Christopher Walken, Desmond Llewelyn, Fiona Fullerton, Grace Jones, James Bond, John Glen, Lois Maxwell, Patrick Macnee, Robert Brown, Roger Moore, Spy, Tanya Roberts, Walter Gotell, Willoughby Grey

Film Title

A View to a Kill

Director

John Glen

Starring

• Roger Moore as James Bond
• Christopher Walken as Max Zorin
• Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton
• Grace Jones as May Day
• Patrick Macnee as Sir Godfrey Tibbett
• Willoughby Grey as Dr Carl Mortner
• Fiona Fullerton as Pola Ivanova
• Robert Brown as M
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q
• Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny
• Walter Gotell as General Gogol

Roger Moore finally bowed out of the role of 007 with A View to a Kill, which was his record seventh appearance as the spy. Whilst there are parts that are entertaining, it isn’t really a worthy farewell to the Moore era.  Octopussy would have been a much better swan song for Moore to go out on than this underwhelming effort that ranks as one of the weaker Bond entries.

After discovering a microchip on the body of a fellow agent who was killed in Siberia and narrowly escaping, MI6’s best agent James Bond investigates the case. The chip leads him to Max Zorin, an industrialist with the microchip business as well as horse racing. The seemingly respectable Zorin is actually a psychopath, who along with his loyal but deadly assistant and lover May Day,was the result of a biological test by Dr Carl Mortner, a Nazi doctor . 007 traces Zorin from Ascot, then Paris and for the grand finale San Francisco, where the full extent of Zorin’s scheme comes into a disturbing light. Aided first by fellow MI6 agent Godfrey Tibbett and later by geologist Stacey Sutton, who has history with Zorin, Bond attempts to foil the twisted psychopath’s dastardly plan to flood Silicon Valley and gain a monopoly on the world microchip market. Coming up against the fearsome May Day and other cronies of Zorin’s along with many life and death situations, Bond knows the mission is going to be far from easy if he is to successfully take down this psychopath.

Part of the problem with Moore’s last entry is the overuse of comedy that detracts from many effective sequences. I don’t mind a bit of humour in the Bond movies, but here it just goes overboard with it and never really recovers. Other entries have successfully combined humour, suspense and action, but A View to a Kill doesn’t fall into that category. John Glen is once again in the director’s chair, but his touch isn’t as assured as it has been and A View to a Kill isn’t glowing in terms of greatness. The fact also is that Roger Moore looks too old for the part now and the suspension in disbelief of him as 007 really waned with this entry, which proved to be his last. With those negatives out of the way, here come the positives. The locations used are once again stunning, from the snows of Siberia, the finery of a French Chateau to the use of San Francisco in sun-bathed glory as Bond attempts to stop Zorin and his plan. John Barry is thankfully on hand to compose the beautiful score, which harks back to the classic Bond feel and succeeds in giving this entry something worthy of praise. Duran Duran provide the electrifying title song, which marries 80’s rock riffs with classic strings and the result is impressive. The title sequence has a rebellious edge, with seductive women sporting Mohawks and neon-body paint.

Although he still has style and panache, Roger Moore is just too old for the role in his last installment. Which is a real shame as he had made the role his own and deserved much better material for his final entry as 007. Christopher Walken is an inspired choice for the role of Zorin and he plays him with unhinged menace, cunning smile and odd sense of humour. Tanya Roberts may be gorgeous to look at but her role isn’t the best example of a Bond girl and the character of Stacey is just not that interesting. It’s hard to take her seriously as a geologist and her constant screaming for help really does become annoying after a while. Far more effective is Grace Jones as the villainous May Day, Zorin’s sidekick and deadly weapon. Jones imbues May Day with an unusually intimidating demeanor, brute strength and an Amazonian glamour, which really makes her an excellent female villain to add to the series. Patrick Macnee contributes old-school wit and upper-crust knowledge as a fellow MI6 agent, but Willoughby Grey is too over the top to be believable as the crazed doctor whose experiments resulted in Zorin and May Day. Briefly appearing but oozing sex appeal is Fiona Fullerton as a KGB honey trap who tries to outsmart Bond on his mission. Robert Brown and Desmond Llewelyn are respectively great as M and Q. Lois Maxwell signs off in style as Moneypenny and her contribution to the series can really be felt in her last outing as the loyal secretary. Walter Gotell is back as Gogol, this time helping MI6 in their pursuit of Zorin as he was once a member of the KGB who has decided to go renegade.

So despite some moments of greatness, A View to a Kill sadly ranks as an unworthy way for Roger Moore to bow out on.

Sleepy Hollow

Tags

1990's, Casper Van Dien, Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken, Horror, Ian McDiarmid, Jeffrey Jones, Johnny Depp, Marc Pickering, Michael Gambon, Michael Gough, Miranda Richardson, Richard Griffiths, Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton

Film Title

Sleepy Hollow

Director

Tim Burton

Starring

• Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane
• Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel
• Miranda Richardson as Lady Van Tassel
• Marc Pickering as Young Masbath
• Michael Gambon as Baltus Van Tassel
• Casper Van Dien as Brom Van Brunt
• Jeffrey Jones as Reverend Steenwyck
• Richard Griffiths as Magistrate Philipse
• Ian McDiarmid as Dr. Lancaster
• Michael Gough as Notary Hardenbrook
• Christopher Walken as the Hessian Horseman

Chilling, blood-soaked and visually ravishing, Tim Burton’s take on Washington Irving’s classic story is a creepy tale of murder and the supernatural with nods to Hammer Horror. Bolstered by a strong cast and a striking colour palette, Sleepy Hollow is a must for old-fashioned horror fans.

Ichabod Crane is an awkward, eccentric and unorthodox policeman in 1799 New York. His methods, such as autopsies and checking for fingerprints are criticised by those around him as they are peculiar and deemed unimportant. Ichabod is also plagued by his blurred memories of a past trauma involving his mother which he begins to piece together. He is given the task of uncovering the murderer in a small remote town known as Sleepy Hollow. Four people have been murdered in a short space of time, each of the victims was decapitated and their head was not found. Arriving in the dour town, Ichabod meets with the town elders; Baltus Van Tassel, the most respected and richest citizen, solemn Reverend Steenwyck, nervy Magistrate Philipse, quiet Dr. Lancaster and menacing Notary Hardenbrook. While Ichabod believes that the murderer is a man, the elders have a very different idea. They believe the carnage is the work of the Headless Horseman, a former mercenary in the war who delighted in chopping off the heads of his victims. The Horseman would eventually befall the same fate at the hands of soldiers. The elders are convinced that the Horseman has returned for revenge. Initially very skeptical and trying to think logically about what killed the victims, Ichabod begins to understand this story after his own encounter with the vengeful spirit. Spooked but still determined, Ichabod attempts to unravel the mystery with the help of Katrina, the romantic and enigmatic daughter of Baltus and Masbath, a recently orphaned boy who sees Ichabod as a surrogate father. Gothic chills and bloodshed follow as the mystery deepens into the realms of the supernatural.

From the opening frames of fog and carnage, we are transported into the gothic world of Tim Burton, who is clearly having a ball with the source material. Burton infuses Sleepy Hollow with an unnerving atmosphere of fear and mystery by utilising shadow and slow-building suspense.He respectfully tips his hat to Hammer Horror with scenes such as the eerily misty woods, a mysterious person clad in a cloak who glides through the woods one night and the wise crone who dwells in the cave, whilst also giving a darkly humorous and sly edge to proceedings. Visuals in Sleepy Hollow are second to none, with the looming houses of the town casting an ominous atmosphere and the gnarled Tree of the Dead a particularly terrifying sight to behold. Sleepy Hollow may be gory in many scenes as crimson and scarlet fill the screen, but at least it has a gripping story to keep it from falling into a full on gore fest. Danny Elfman provides a haunting and spellbinding score of choir chanting, uneasy strings and dreamlike percussion that perfectly sets the mood of impending terror that awaits Ichabod upon his arrival in the eponymous town.

Johnny Depp heads the impressive cast as the nervy and free-thinking Ichabod. He conveys fear, skepticism and radical thinking whilst giving us some darkly funny moments when Ichabod’s modern techniques are questioned by old-fashioned values. Christina Ricci is luminously enigmatic and dreamlike as Katrina, whose secretive behaviour and beauty soon cause her to become the object of Ichabod’s affections whilst aiding him in his unearthing of the sinister legend. Miranda Richardson makes for a mysterious character with her evasive presence and strange smiles every so often that slip from behind her image as a model wife. Marc Pickering conveys maturity and courage as Masbath, who helps Ichabod and develops and deep father-son bond with him. In supporting roles as the village elders;Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones, Ian McDiarmid and Michael Gough are respectable and intelligent. Casper Van Dien is well suited to the macho character of Brom, a potential suitor to Katrina who begins to feel threatened by the presence of Ichabod. And not forgetting Christopher Walken, who portrays the Horseman in flashback and adds a terrifying intensity and menace to the role.

A spellbinding, eerie and visually stunning horror film, Sleepy Hollow is both an affectionate throwback to old horror movies and a suspenseful thrill ride of mystery and danger, crafted with eccentric care by Tim Burton.

What is your favourite Madonna music video?

Tags

Christopher Walken, David Fincher, Madonna, Music video, Sean Penn

To round of the musical posts on Madonna, this one is focusing on her many music videos. Controversial, memorable and indelible are the words that spring to mind when I think of her multitudes of music videos. So do you like the controversial and much discussed videos such as the infamous Like a Prayer or the raunchy Justify my Love? Or do you prefer the more artistic and expressive ones in her repertoire like the surreal Bedtime Story and the atmospheric Frozen? Whatever your answer, please give it.

My personal favourites are:

Bad Girl, which features Christopher Walken as the Angel of Death watching over Madonna’s depressed businesswoman character and is directed by David Fincher.

Take a Bow, a period piece, in which Madonna plays the neglected lover of a matador.

Live to tell, in which she sings the song like a narrator accompanying images from then husband Sean Penn’s movie At Close Range.

And Frozen, in which she plays a melancholy being clad in black, in the desert that shapeshifts in to a flock of birds and a dog.