Tagarchief: Horror

TV Dungeon: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

(1997 – 2003, USA)

Creator: Joss Whedon
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, James Marsters, Emma Caulfield, Michelle Trachtenberg, David Boreanaz

7 Seasons (144 Episodes)

‘In every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone shall stand against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.’

Specialists in the television medium consider Buffy the Vampire Slayer to be a genius show. In a poll ‘The 50 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time’ by Empire Magazine, it became second only after The Simpsons. Why this eminent status? Because it is daring, intelligent and superbly entertaining television.

Teenager Buffy Summers and her single mum move from L.A to small town Sunnydale, which just happens to be built on the Hellmouth; the perfect breeding ground for demons, vampires and all other sorts of nasties. Buffy soon learns that she is more than just an ordinary high school girl. She is the chosen one. The Slayer.

Slayers have been around since the beginning of time to fight the forces of darkness. In Sunnydale, this means one hell of a mammoth task. Luckily, Buffy is aided in her ass-kicking mission by Giles, the high school’s librarian and her watcher. A group of friends, including a lesbian witch, an ex-vengeance demon and a turned vampire also join the fight against evil.

For many people, their teenage and young adolescent years were hard and confusing. This certainly applies for Buffy and her close friends. All typical problems for this age group are personified in the form of monsters. A creepy stepdad turns out to be literally a robot; a boyfriends turns evil after the first time; etc. These clever metaphors are only one element in making this a terrific show.

What really makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer superb are the characters. From heroes Buffy, Willow and Xander, who go through enormous developments as they grow up, to mythological vampires like Angel and Spike, who have complex and detailed background stories.

Major credits also go to creator Joss Whedon for integrating every supernatural story ever invented and more into his series. Every episode is like a small horror film of its own. And they are always suspenseful, surprising and very often…funny.

In every season, Buffy and her friends (friendship is a major theme in Buffy) have to overcome new fears and challenges. There is always a new super villain to deal with. But that aside, there are plenty of issues having to do with growing up. Buffy’s tragic romance with good vampire Angel is a perfect example of this, but there are many, many more. As the characters become older, the show becomes darker and more adult.

The final result is a dynamic mix of high school drama, horror and action. Warning: Buffy is addicting stuff, but with 144 episodes, there is more than enough to go around. Once you get into it, the Scooby gang will become an important group of people in your life, and you will sincerely miss them once you have completed the show.

Of course, you can always do a re-watch, which I plan to do very soon.

Double Bill #02: Grindhouse (Planet Terror & Death Proof)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

This was the first time I saw the Rodriguez / Tarantino double feature as it was originally intended: back to back and with fake trailers in between. Originally, I saw the films separately when they came out in 2007 in an open air cinema on Crete. This was a special experience in itself and I really liked the movies. So what is the real authentic Grindhouse experience like? Well, what do you think? It kicks complete ass! It starts with the Machete trailer, which is so good they decided to actually make the movie. Then the first feature Planet Terror opens with that pole dancing sequence, the sexiest ever committed to celluloid. Rose McGowan is amazing as Cherry Darling, a go-go dancer who’ll soon have a machine gun for a leg. Rodriguez’ his contribution is a bat shit crazy gory virus zombie splatterpiece, while the Tarantino film that follows is… well a masterful genre film (in this case a carsploitation-horror), like only the maestro knows how to make them. What’s beautiful is that the films actually go together like burgers and fries. Tarantino-Rodriguez is a unique partnership in the history of filmmaking and this is a once-in-a-lifetime project. The two films have a lot in common. Apart from the shared cast members, they feature lots of lethal ladies; girls who kick ass, though they also suffer a lot. The guys in the movies are mostly psychos. And one of them is unforgettable: Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike McKay. Another Tarantino-character made for the cinema wax museum. The Grindhouse versions of the films are cut a little shorter than the films released separately. Death Proof now also has a missing reel. Not coincidentally, it is the lap dance scene that is missing (Tarantino and Rodriquez are suggesting that a horny projectionist stole the reels, in Planet Terror a sex scene between Cherry and Wray is missing). Also, included in all gory glory are the fake movie trailers: Rob Zombie’s Werewolf Women of the SS, Edgar Wright’s Thanksgiving and Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving. O man, cult cinema just doesn’t come any better than this.

Dungeon Classics #20: From Dusk Till Dawn

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996, USA | Mexico)

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Harvey Keitel
Running Time: 108 mins.

The early nineties saw the rise of filmmakers and friends Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriquez (they both debuted in 1992). They collaborated a number of times, but From Dusk Till Dawn is probably the greatest success in terms of cult appeal. Tarantino wrote the script and plays one of the lead roles and Rodriquez directed and edited the movie. The result is a cult classic. The first half is like watching a Tarantino neo-western crime movie. The dialogue is pure Tarantino and thus essential stuff for the cinema obsessive. The cast is excellent with Clooney in a formidable lead role as ruthless criminal Seth Gecko. The dynamic with his crazy, rapist brother Richard (played by Tarantino) ensures many extremely funny moments. During the second half, From Dusk Till Dawn surprisingly turns into a horror movie. A vampire flick to be more precise. It surely is thrilling, though not as good as the terrific first half. But some great supporting parts (by a.o. Fred Williamson and Tom Savini) add to the bloody fun.

Scanners

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: David Cronenberg
Written by: David Cronenberg
Cast: Stephen Lack, Jennifer O’Neill, Patrick McGoohan, Michael Ironside

Year / Country: 1981, Canada
Running Time: 103 mins.

Master of body horror David Cronenberg, moves into the mental domain with this masterful movie. Scanners are telepathic humans who pick up every thought in their surroundings and can ‘scan’ other people.

The drifter Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack) is a scanner who isn’t aware of his condition. He is a victim of it. But under the guidance of scientist Dr. Paul Ruth (Patrick McGoohan) – head of the scanner programme of security company ConSec – he learns to use his gift.

ConSec, like the United States army has done, uses these ‘telepathic curiosities’ to gather information on potential enemies. It goes wrong however, when the psychopathic super-scanner Darryl Revok (a superb Michael Ironside) starts an underground movement of scanners. And they murder anybody who won’t join them on their mission to conquer the world…

Ruth enlists the yet unaffiliated Vale to help him stop the telepathic maniac Revok. Together with Kim Obrist (Jennifer O’Neill), ‘good’ scanner Vale meets on his journey, he goes after Revok and a clash of powerful minds ensues.

Scanners shows once again why Cronenberg is one of the most skillful directors working in this genre. The way he is able to convey a sense of unease and danger with little means is remarkable. And Scanners – which allegedly had a troublesome production history – belongs to his finest works. With brilliant sound design and an extremely memorable ending.

Rating:

Biography: David Cronenberg (1943, Toronto), also known as the King of Venereal Horror or the Baron of Blood, grew up in Toronto. His father was a journalist and his mother a piano player. Cronenberg graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in literature after switching from the science department. He then turned to filmmaking and reached a cult status with a few early horror features including Shivers and Rabid. He rapidly became a very popular genre filmmaker and eventually a true auteur, making profound statements on modern humanity and ever-changing society.

Filmography (a selection): Transfer (1966, short) / Stereo (1969) / Shivers (1975) / Rabid (1977) / Fast Company (1979) / The Brood (1979) / Scanners (1981) / The Dead Zone (1983) / The Fly (1986) / Dead Ringers (1988) / Naked Lunch (1991) / Crash (1996) / eXistenZ (1999) / Spider (2002) / A History of Violence (2005) / Eastern Promises (2007) / A Dangerous Method (2011) / Cosmopolis (2012), Crimes of the Future (2022)