The Secret of NIMH

 

There is an argument to be had about the animation renaissance and when it truly began. Most would say it came with Disney and The Little Mermaid, but some may equate the changes began with Don Bluth and The Secret of NIMH. Released in 1982 the film was released to a modest fanfare making double its budget at the overall box office but the real success was on home video, the old reliable (back then) VHS market. Based on the book, Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien, our heroine’s name changed to Brisby for the film due to trademark issues. The idea to adapt the book has originally been a possible project for Disney but they weren’t interested. Don Bluth felt there was a story needing to be told and he knew exactly how.

Recently widowed Mrs Brisby is in desperate need of help. Moving day has arrived early, Farmer Fitzgibbons is about the plough the field where she lives. But Timmy, one of her four children, is sick with pneumonia and cannot be moved. Advised by the wisest creature around, The Great Owl tells her to seek help to move her home from the mysterious and secretive rates that live in the rosebush. These aren’t just any rats, as they have a secret, just like Mrs Brisby’s husband Jonathan before he died, and these rats want something in return.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Conclave - London Film Festival

 

When it comes to stories set in or centred around the Catholic Church, there is an expectation. Either a horror, cheap or classy or a story about faith. Conclave touches upon the crisis of faith but it is never delves too deep. Instead, and most refreshingly, Conclave is a thriller with elements of a murder mystery, except with no murder, but intense one the less. 

When the Holy Father dies, there is a vacuum left behind. Cardinals scrabble to secure votes who they believe is the right candidate. It is left to Cardinal Lawrence, the Dean of the College, to organise Conclave, where all the cardinals are summoned to choose the next Pope. But through secrets and sabotage, Lawrence discovers the favourites each have something to hide. But will it be too late to before the wrong person to chosen to be Pope. 

From the very start, there is a sense of loss and ambition in the air. As some cardinals close to the late Pope grieve, others have already rallied votes in preparation of Conclave. This very clearly establishes the tone of the film, this is not about religion, thankfully. The intrigue and suspicion is set and it is left to Lawrence, played with absolute reverence and stability by Ralph Fiennes, to investigate along with his colleague, Monsignor Raymond O’Malley to find out exactly what the cardinals are planning. Each cardinal represents a faction of the church, each vying for control, wanting change or waiting to continue the late Pope’s work. It is continuously noted by several characters, these men are not perfect, they are all flawed.

Blink Twice

 

Originally called Pussy Island, a title that may have given the game away, Blink Twice on the surface seems like one of those glitzy mystery thrillers with hot cast and story that is expected to be full of twists. Not to say Blink Twice isn’t this, but even from the release of the trailer, there is a darker undercurrent running through this shiny film. With Zoe Kravitz in the director’s chair, she goes full force in her directorial debut, willing to show grim truths, no sugar coating and showing that this film won’t be a one from her. 

At an exclusive event held by billionaire tech mogul, Slater King, two friends Frida and Jess who are part of the catering staff, decide to crash the party. Subsequentially getting invited to Slater’s private island with a group of his associates. The island is paradise, followed by amazing dinners, wild partying on repeat for several days. But when Jess asks to leave, disturbed by something, Frida begs her to stay a little while longer. However, by the next day Jess is missing and no one remembers her even being there. 

What feels like a ‘Lady Vanishes’ type plot very quickly spirals out to be a far more sinister yet basic plot. Not necessarily a negative thing but the disturbing element is more than just a missing person. As Frida connects pieces of a puzzle that actually began the moment she arrived, some might theorise even before that, we watch her going from having the time of her life to literally surviving through hell. At the core, Blink Twice is a deep disturbing thriller that unfortunately surprises no women, when it comes to the behaviour of men. The light exploration into trauma and the discussion around reliving trauma and whether its better to forget is an interesting element to the film but it barely scratches the surface of the subject. 

The cast assembled is impressive and everyone makes their mark on screen, but the stand outs here are most definitely Naomi Ackie as Frida, our guide bringing us into this hellscape and Adria Arjona as Sarah, former reality TV star and who equally finds herself in a unbelievable situation. 

Blink Twice is a welcome addition to the long list of films with the theme of ‘eat the rich’, even if it presents itself slightly differently. For a directorial debut its impressive and as thriller mysteries go, its highly entertaining.

Blackout - Fantasia Film Festival

 

We’re no strangers to the supernatural in film and we have all definitely been exposed to a typical creature feature. Trying to find a fresh new angle on a subject that has been made countless times before is a difficult task but writer, director and producer Larry Fessenden has possibly found a way to do so by way of a character study and dark self-discovery in Blackout.

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE

The Five Devils

 

Vicky has an extraordinary sense of smell. She has the ability to recreate the scents of others, sometimes with devastating consequences, particularly when her aunt Julia comes to visit having been gone for many years. The reappearance of Julia disrupts her family’s already fragile dynamic, stirring up past tragedies as well as happier times. Each time Vicky descends into the past lives of her parents and Julia, without realising the lifelong pain she causes, she has to decide whether she uses her powers for good or to get what she wants.

Full review in the latest issue of Film Stories HERE.

Glass Onion

 

Benoit Blanc returns! This time we find him bored in need of a new case in the middle of lockdown. But luckily, with the arrival of a mysterious puzzle box, a new mystery is close at hand. 

This time around, Blanc becomes entangled with another group of wealthy individuals. They are influential, powerful, and somewhat talented friends who call themselves, ‘The Disruptors’. The dynamics of the friendships are like those of a family. There are secrets and lies that bind them and can have the ability to, disrupt, the group, potentially ruining everything they have ever accomplished. Blanc goes along for the ride as there is far more to this island getaway and old friends catching up that meets the eye.

Full post and Filmhounds Top 10 of 2022 HERE.

Incredible But True - Fantasia Film Festival

 
The simplest of ideas can become the most complex stories. Delving deeper into an idea that on the surface seems bizarre and too ridiculous to comprehend, along comes Quentin Dupleux with another strange tale that literally no one thought of making. Dupleux’s films are that of fantasy and other genres mixed in bottle and sprayed out to its’ audiences that they are a perfect fit for Fantasia Film Festival. Incredible But True is another success in this writer and director’s catalogue of the strange an unusual.

Middle aged couple, Alain and Marie’s lives are completely altered when they buy a house in a quiet suburban neighbourhood after discovering the powers of a hatch in the basement. Warned upon moving in, the hatch allows you to travel 12 hours into the future and also makes you 3 days younger. While Marie becomes obsessed with the hatch, Alain tries to live a normal life. Alongside this issue with the house, Alain’s friend and boss Gerard, has problems of his own, specifically with his technology enhanced genitals.

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Please Baby Please - Fantasia Film Festival

 

If you’re going to immerse yourself in a world that Amanda Kramer has created, you will need to accept everything that is happening on screen if you’re going to survive until the end. Kramer has the ability to suck you in to her strange universe, whether you choose to stay and indulge in the fantasies in front of you is up to you. It may not be a fast-paced thriller but the intermittent musical dance numbers and eccentric ‘guests’ that appear along the way do break up the time. The surrealist fantasy of this visual queer manifesto won’t be for everyone, especially if you don’t enjoy repetition of questions and discussions, but it is fascinating to witness. Kramer’s work fits easily into Fantasia’s programme, along with her other film also being screened at the festival this year, Give Me Pity.

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Mayday

 

A surreal at times, when switching from reality to fantasy and with a somewhat obvious overarching ‘lesson’ to be learnt, but Mayday does have some beautiful imagery, cinematic setting and a great cast. 

 

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Edinburgh International Film Festival - Pig

 

Nicolas Cage has become his own genre, his legacy proceeds him and with each film he appears in, you never really know what to expect. Whether it will be an action thriller with blood, guts and pain or if he will turn to the strong silent character actor. His unpredictability is what draws us to the screen to watch him in whatever he is doing next. The film may be called Pig, but this is most definitely a Nicolas Cage opus. 

 

Full review and coverage over at Filmhounds HERE.

Into the Labyrinth

 

When missing kidnapped girl Samantha is found years after she first disappeared, she is taken to hospital and examined by Dr Green who is there to find out what happened to her in the labyrinth. Meanwhile private investigator Genko tries to track down Samantha’s kidnapper, leading him down many dark twists and turns and a glimpse into an even more disturbing mystery spanning decades.

 

Full review can be read over at Filmhounds HERE.

Neo Noir: Marnie

 

SNAPSHOT POST

Hitchcock's suspenseful sex thriller, as the poster for the film calls it, is borderline insane as its premise is ridiculous, on paper. On screen however, Tippi's Marnie is both a cold hearted thief and vulnerable woman suppressing childhood trauma that rears its head at the most difficult of times. On the surface the cruelty Marnie suffers is a punishment for crimes but really this is a exploration into her mind. Not as deep a dive as it could go but still a worthy Hitchcock classic that is mostly pushed aside in flavour of his other films. The double side to this film is connected to Tippi Hedren herself who only did the film because she contracted to due to the abuse she received from Hitchcock. This could be the real breakdown we witness from that stress. But that might reading too far into it.

 

For more #noirvember & #NeoNoir follow @little_sister_filmnoir

 

Neo Noir: Gemini

SNAPSHOT POST 

A fusion of mystery, intrigue and confusion. Getting a glimpse into the world of a famous actress and her right had woman/PA who is by her side until the unthinkable happens, the famous actress is found dead under suspicious circumstances. The PA is suspect number one but is innocent so she goes down the rabbit hole looking for clues as to who actually did it. With cliche characters, Lola Kirke stands out next to them as the wrongfully accused. With little to go on, het search becomes more of a journey to dodge the police and the intrigue soon turns to confusion as to what and where the film is going. It feels as if this could have been the opening episode to a TV series. With neo noir edges and thriller elegance, this film sits nicely into the genre but lacks an inspiring plot. 

 

For more #noirvember & #NeoNoir follow @little_sister_filmnoir

 

Returning to the Afternoon Movies

 On the 16th December 2013 I posted about 'The Amazing Mr Blunden' a classic British film from 1972. With itsd  own charm and weirdness about it, it used to be a film that my sister and I used to watch when we were very young. In fact this was one of the films that we had on a list, a list of films we thought no one else had heard of, at least people our age. There are several on there which we discovered to be films that everyone had seen and there still a few that remain unheard of.

The only connection to this festive season is that the opening scenes take place Christmas Eve but from there we are in glorious Spring time. For a brief summary, its all about the ghosts, the mansion and of course the mysterious man himself, Mr Blunden. 

With the release of a very special edition from Second Sight Films who have recently brough us the delightful 'Flight of the Navigator' back into our homes through its own special release, I have reviewed the film, in full, which was previously published on Vulturehoud. HERE.

I also wanted to revisit my post from 2013 as I was still in the very early stages of finding my way writing wise and how I had pictured the blog to be. Honestly, its not my best, but its always good to look back and see how far you've come. But also, just for fun, HERE is the post. 

“We three kings of Orient are my dears”

Ghosts are real. That is what you have to believe when entering the world of ‘The Amazing Mr Blunden’ especially as the family film classic was based on ‘The Ghosts’ by Antonia Barber. The element of supernatural isn’t a spoiler as its one of the first topics talked about, the belief in the spirits and whether they are feared. Ghosts are more than they seem and for the heroes in this story, overcoming any fear or second guesses is just one layer to this time travelling ghost story.

On a cold Christmas Eve, kindly old solicitor Mr Blunden mysteriously visits the Allen family, who have recently hit on hard times. He offers Mrs Allen the position of caretaker to an old estate where her and family can live in a cottage on the grounds. Jamie and Lucy Allen soon encounter more strange happenings when they meet two ghosts who used to live in the mansion house. Transported back in time, they find themselves working against the clock, trying to help their new friends and right a wrong that took place over 100 years.

With a title change the film automatically becomes more family friendly and suggest that (especially from the original poster) that this mysterious Mr Blunden is some sort of supernatural adventurous being but in fact, he’s better than that, he’s just a gentleman trying right a wrong that happened 100 years ago. This, is a far better fit of character for the story and just adds to the mystery. Maybe the film could have been called, ‘The Mysterious Mr Blunden’. Having ghosts as the subjects of the time travelling adventure mystery, it’s hard to ignore the obvious genre that which these apparitions appear. Horror does make an appearance in the form of Mr and Mrs Wickens, the latter, a cleverly disguised former sex symbol Diana Dors, literally steals the scene whenever she shows up. These two nasty characters are more than the evil caretakers of the house, they are the reason for the entire plot of the film. Without their plan to kill off the children, Lucy and Jamie would not need to time travel back to save the day. The film has been quite charmingly described as a ‘family friendly Hammer horror’ which I think both gives the film too much credit and not enough. The film has that rare quality where it both charms, amuses and has us enthralled, an edge of mystery that is never really solvable which is most likely why it is returned to time and time again.

There is a certain quality that some British films have that even though you know and feel it was made a number of decades ago, the slight grain and tone to the print and ever-present Britishness that just shines through. Maybe it’s not something that everyone picks up on when watching these classics but it’s there all the same. A group of weird and wonderful characters that are both stereotypical and a joy to watch, a story that has you on the edge of you seat and most of all, the amazing Mr Blunden himself, are all elements to a classic film that at last get its special edition treatment.

Make Up - BFI London Film Festival

Setting a thriller by the coast gives any film an automatic sense of mystery and dread all at the same time, especially if said film begins at night. The waves crashing against the rocks sets the tone and foreshadows conflict but just waves coming in and out of the shaw, with a rain heralding the arrival of something sets up an uneasy sense that something isn’t quite right, at least that’s how Claire Oakley’s debut starts.

Teenager Ruth travels to a Cornish holiday caravan park to be with her boyfriend Tom of 3 years. She eventually settles into life at the almost deserted park in its off season. She gets a job and even makes a new friend, wig maker Jade. But after finding possible evidence that Tom may have cheated on her, her paranoia turns to obsession, making her question her own self-worth and a new sexual awakening.

As a mystery and dive into possible insanity, the story and character work perfectly. Slowing dragging you into the troubled and rather bewildered world of Ruth’s. But the rather skewed shift into Ruth’s attraction towards the more confident but separate from it all Jade is unexpected and eventually feels forced, despite the one or two indicators that Ruth isn’t entirely comfortable with herself. As tries to follow possible clues as to whether Tom has cheated on her or not are fantastically shot, making each bizarre discovery feel like a piece of a bigger picture that, like Ruth, we haven’t fully grasped yet. Ruth and Jade’s friendship is built to feel like Jade knows more than she lets on but the quick switch to the film actually being about Ruth’s new sexual awakening is odd and out of place. But as soon as its established that THIS is what the film is really about the poetic imagery vanishes and feels empty. The mysterious edge the film began with washes away and leaves us with a few romantic moments but ultimately has so many questions left unanswered.

Despite the feeling of being left without a solved mystery, Claire Oakley’s debut feature does make you wonder what she has to offer next. Beautifully shot and hypnotic (to begin with) is feels like a promising beginning and excitement to see what she does next.