1993 Archives - Screen Wolf

Tonight’s movie review comes courtesy of Walt Disney and Ray Bradbury in the dark carnival story “Something Wicked This Way Comes” from 1983. A movie with a complex and troubled production, at one point it was to star Kirk Douglas and at another it was going to be directed by Sam Pekinpah. It is based off of Ray Bradbury’s book by the same name, though that book was originally intended to be a screenplay (But the movie fell through, so it became a novel and was only later adapted back to a screenplay).

Other names attached to this at various times included Steven Spielberg directing and Christopher Lee or Peter O’Toole as the villain. The movie ended up with Jack Clayton directing… mostly. After a dispute with Disney over the movies tone and the bad performance of the test screening he was effectively replaced and the studio spent six months and $15m on reshoots. He wasn’t the only person sent packing though as they also scrapped the entire score written by Georges Delerue, which they had decided was too dark in tone. Delerue was replaced by James Horner who provided a score that emphasized the small town America feel a bit more and the terror a bit less. The film also dumped it’s editor Argyle Nelson Jr. and had assistant editor Barry Gordon take his place instead.

Beware The Autumn People.

With Kirk Douglas no longer available and O’Toole and Lee too expensive the casting settled on Jason Robards as the heroic father “Charles Holloway” and Jonathan Price as the sinister “Mr. Dark”. For the child leads Vidal Peterson was cast as “Will Holloway” and Shawn Carson as “Jim Nightshade”. Strangely enough Vidal was dark haired and Shawn blonde, but they had their hair dyed the opposite to play their respective roles. This was basically on Bradbury’s insistence that Carson was perfect for the Jim Nightshade role. Because of the reshoots there is at least one scene where the kids are noticeably older. The cast is capped off with Diane Ladd and Pam Grier (As the mysterious “Dust Witch”).

This is a story about regrets, pining for days gone by, the bond between a father and son and of course evil beings that feed on misery. In this story said evil beings materialize in the form of a carnival and set their sights on a small sleepy American town in Illinois called “Green Town”. We see the story unfold through the eyes of the two boys Will and Jim a mischievous pair that see more than they should have and threaten the evil Mr. Dark’s plans. The hero of the piece though is Will’s father Charles who must overcome his own doubts, regrets and weariness to rise to the battle ahead.

Then Rang The Bells Both Loud And Deep.

So this is a Disney movie and that is apparent on screen. Though this is in their more adult period and several years after they broke into that market with “The Black Hole” (1979), it is still geared to be family entertainment and of course focusing on the kids as protagonists places this into a fairly safe category of child friendly horror.That’s not to say that it doesn’t manage to achieve some menace and creepiness. There’s only really one notable horror scene outside of straight character interaction and your mileage may vary with it depending on how well you get on with spiders. Overall though I’d say it’s quite well balanced and I suspect Disney made the right move in toning things down.

I have listened to the original soundtrack from Delerue and it’s actually a superb soundtrack, but it does come across as some kind of epic horror. James Horner however was clearly aiming for something more specific in his version and bring out a bit of the quaintness of the small town setting and a bit of quirkiness where the carnival is involved while maintaining a sense of wonder and mystery. The horror elements are still there but like the film itself it is finely balanced. You can tell Horner was given specific direction here because this really doesn’t sound like his other work of the period. As I mentioned with my “Wolfen” review, as talented as Horner is a lot of his soundtracks sound very similar. Not this one! This could be a Danny Elfman score.

No Man’s a Hero To Himself.

The focus on the relationship between a father and son is nice to see and gives a heartwarming conclusion. While Disney rarely does such things these days, it was pretty common in the 80’s to have this kind of traditional family tale. But it’s a timeless thing as there will always be fathers and sons. The focus on regrets and missing the past is another timeless theme and the evil that comes to take advantage of that… well it sort of reminds me of modern studios rebooting all our beloved franchises of the past. In a way the villain is symbolic of modern Disney!

Speaking of the villain, Jonathan Price who wasn’t especially well known at this point, is very good. While Pam Grier’s Dust Witch is certainly creepy, she rarely interacts with the heroes, while Mr. Dark gets a lot of dialogue and delivers it with both mystery and menace. On some occasions I thought perhaps he was talking a bit too much, but overall he was the highlight of the movie. Not that there are any weak links here really. Even the creepy side characters with their blank expressions manage to be menacing without having to do much but stare blankly and occasionally smile.

By The Pricking Of My Thumbs.

So in conclusion, this is a solid movie and I wish Disney still made them like this. It’s not too adult for kids or too childish for adults, it has enough elements to it to just about call it a horror, but manages to be a heartwarming family tale on top of that. It’s reasonably well acted and we actually got two great soundtracks out of it. What leaves me a little bit torn is I’m just not sure if a darker version could have been more interesting, at least for me personally. Plus had they been able to pull off the planned CGI (Yes, in the 80’s!) it could have been quite visually spectacular too.

This is a high 6.5/10 that I will definitely be rounding up to a 7 for my IMDB score. For me though I felt it was a little lacking in places where they could have pushed elements a bit further and so falls just short of a straight 7. That doesn’t mean I don’t recommend it though (6.5 is still high from me). If you want a Halloween movie you can play for the whole family (Including kids) this would be an excellent choice.

Tonight we delve deep into past of legendary film maker Guillermo del Toro. I first came across his work with Blade II in 2002 (Which I still maintain is way better than the first film), but it was actually a decade earlier that Guillermo made his feature film debut with the movie Cronos, a mostly Spanish language film (With some English in places). The film was made for a mere $2m, small even for the day and the lowest of all of Del Toro’s films. Interestingly amongst the cast is Ron Perlman, effectively playing the movies main antagonist. Perlman would have been known from the Beauty and the Beast series of the late 80’s, but didn’t really make a name for himself on the big screen until a decade later in Del Toro’s “Hellboy” (2004).

The lead of the movie though is Federico Luppi as “Jesus Gris”, Claudio Brook supports as the rich and powerful De La Guardia though his ambitious nephew and henchman “Angel”, played by Perlman is the real antagonist. Tamara Xanath completes the main cast as Jesus’ granddaughter “Aurora”. Del Toro is sole writer as well as director.

October Review Challenge – Day 29

The movie begins with an explanation of the Cronos device, created by an ancient alchemist to give him immortality. It seems to have prolonged his life a good 400 years, but after after an old building he was in collapsed and his heart was pierced by debris he eventually died. He was described as having marble skin and his mansion was discovered to the scene of multiple murders. The device however was never found.

Our focus then changes to antique shop owner, Jesus Cris. A strange man takes a particular interest in one of his statues (one of an Archangel) and then quickly leave the shop, which leads to Jesus investigating it and discovering it has a hollow base. Inside of which is a strange device that looks a bit like an insect. He puts the statue back together and returns it to the shop, but sets the unusual device aside. Not long after the statue is purchased by a large man called “Angel”.

Age and Addiction

While investigating the device with his granddaughter Aurora, the decide opens up some sharp leg like sections that grip his hand, puncturing the skin. He tears the device off and goes to treat his wound. Later that night though, he finds himself drawn to use the device again, this time allowing the process to complete it’s cycle. He reacts to it like he is taking a hit of heroin, and is observed by Aurora who is disturbed by this. Jesus assures her he is okay. The next day he discovers he is looking younger and he feels younger too.

On his arrival at the antiques store he finds it has been broken into and a note is left telling him to go to a particular address and bring the device. He arrives to find the man that purchased the statue and is taken to his uncle, De la Guardia who questions him about the device and notices the wound on his hand. Jesus admits he accidentally used the device and De La Guardia calls him an idiot. He points out there are very specific rules for using the device. Jesus gives him a box and leaves, but the box turns out to only contain the broken locks from his store. De La Guardia warns him he may have the device but he will never share with him the instructions.

Funerals and Finales

Later at a New Years Eve party Jesus finds himself drawn to the blood of a man who suffered a nose bleed. He is busy licking some of the blood off the floor when he is kicked in the face by Angel. When he wakes up, Angel beats him and eventually sends his car off a cliff apparently killing him. However after being declared dead and having a funeral Jesus returns from the dead, narrowly escaping his own cremation. With his skin appearing to rot and him now being burned by sunlight he seeks his Granddaughter who creates a space for him in their attic so he can hide out for the moment.

Eventually Jesus determines he must confront De La Guardia and find out what is happening and seek a solution. This leads to a final confrontation with both his antagonists and the decision he must make over his future and what is of most importance to him.

Visuals and Symbolism

As his first feature and with the limited budget it’s no surprise the film doesn’t quite achieve the impressive visuals that Del Toro is known for, but that’s not to say it totally lacks any traces of it. The shots early on of the macabre mansion in which the alchemist lives, along with the visuals from inside the device itself give a hint of the visual imagination that would become one of his trademarks. Even in the rest of the film, while the visuals aren’t quite so lavish they still manage to find time for symbolism, such as a man wearing a clock outfit (part of the NYE celebration but having a additional meaning here).

One of the more subtle elements of this movie I like is the quiet but vitally important relationship between Jesus and his granddaughter Aurora. This is pure Del Toro and puts the story into a more personal level. Aurora’s love allows her to see past the monster he has become, to try and stop his addiction and to stand by him when no one else likely would. She does all this while barely saying a word and ultimately it is this love that saves Jesus. It is the heart of the story.

A New Take On An Old Myth

What does stand out here though is Del Toro’s gift for doing something original with a not so original idea. In this instance it is the story of the vampire (Which of course he would hit once again with Blade 2). Perhaps tied with the space aliens from “Lifeforce” (1985), this is the most original depiction of Vampires I have seen and it is done in such a clever way that it really doesn’t feel like a vampire film until the final act. Interestingly there is something Cronenberg like to how a lot of it is depicted, but Guillermo practices restraint and makes sure to keep focus.

This form of vampirism is something man made, not a curse from god as was depicted in 1992’s Francis Ford Coppala’s “Dracula” and I wonder if that is a deliberate move to be counter to that idea. It’s also not romanticised or even sexualised (part of what prevents it seeming overly Cronenberg) as it tends to be with Vampire stories. Vampirism here is presented as an addiction, with Jesus himself making a direct comparison to how he used to be addicted to cigarettes and the way he humiliates himself to lick drops of blood off the floor is a dark place many addicts have gone to find their hit.

Heaven and Hellboy

The religious symbolism is in full force here and is perhaps a little too obvious. While Jesus is a pretty common name amongst Spanish speaking communities, Gris is not a common surname in those communities (At least not as far as the few minutes of research I just did suggests), so when you have a character called “Jesus Cris” and he gets to return from the grave a few days after dying and is associated with a guy called “Angel” who has been collecting statues of arch-angels, it’s sort of hard to miss. Though I do have to take into account cultural differences here. The Latin countries tend to be more religious, so perhaps this isn’t as heavy handed as it seems to me.

Probably the weakest part of the film is, perhaps surprisingly, Ron Perlman. A decade later he’d be performing his career best as Hellboy under Del Toro’s directorship, but here he puts in a somewhat unconvincing performance, but to be fair a part of that is in the character design. As someone not directly involved with or understanding the vampire curse he is somewhat removed from the main story and yet he is the one that has the most direct confrontation with Jesus and the one he fights in the final act.

It’s not helped that Perlman also seems the main source of comedy relief in the movie (The only other real source being the mortuary worker), so the main antagonist is also the main comedy relief and that didn’t really work for me. I feel like it would have been better for Angel to be relegated to lacky status with his uncle finding a way to the final confrontation. Fortunately the films focus is more on Jesus than on his conflict with the La Guardia family.

Conclusion

While the movie is not perfect and in my humble opinion not Del Toro’s best (certainly not his most visually appealing), it is a movie that deserves accolades both for it’s originality in a well trod genre and for the many layers of substance to the story. From the religious aspect, to the metaphor for addiction to the strength of family bonds it makes for an interesting movie that feels like it has meaning. This is a sturdy 7/10 and possibly the new front runner of my October Horrorthon (I’ll figure that out at the end).

Tag: 1993

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)