Uzumaki (minor spoilers)

Posted on 29/08/2013 by dalekboy

Uzumaki – 9/10

Also called Spiral or Vortex, this Japanese film helped me to identify the problems I had with the next two films I watched. It also spoiled them a little, by being so damned good. Stylish, clever, absurd, and creepy, the direction in this is excellent.

The inhabitants slowly become obsessed with spirals, manifesting in madness and even physical changes. That’s the story. And it drags you through a slowly pervasive and deepening madness often in very subtle ways. Occasionally out of the corner of your eye you’ll spot a bit of scenery slowly twist into a spiral. It’s brilliantly done. It’s obvious when you spot it, but its also used sparingly and with great restraint.

The effect is, you start actively looking for spirals. The director has dragged you into the same madness that is experienced by the characters.

There are also times where the film gets ridiculously over the top and silly, but that’s fine. It makes you laugh, but it doesn’t relieve you from the dread.

Of all the films watched up to Red Sands, this is the one that for me best fit the feel of an indifferent power driving people insane. Apparently it’s based on a manga. Have no idea how it is as an adaptation, but it was good enough that I’d like to track down the original work.

For links to the list of other cosmic horror films I’ve been watching, go here.

The Call of Cthulhu

Posted on 27/08/2013 by dalekboy

The Call of Cthulhu – 7/10

Made by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society like The Whisperer in Darkness. This one is done as a late 1920’s silent movie. Not quite as polished as their other production (this was made first) it’s still a good and interesting adaptation of the work. I have read the original story this was based upon, and it certainly hit all the major notes I remembered.

It didn’t draw me in quite as much, I didn’t find this quite as creepy, but that may well be the story itself. Certainly it’s worth a look and is a noble experiment. Again, it uses a mixture of techniques to tell its story, even including a some stop motion animation amongst the computer graphics.

Both films are well worth tracking down from the store and checking out. They don’t cost much, and they are interesting, especially because they show a certain level of craft and originality of approach.

For links to the list of other cosmic horror films I’ve been watching, go here.

Cosmic Horror – The List

Posted on 27/08/2013 by dalekboy

Haven’t watched a lot of films this year, but in recent weeks I’ve been on something of a cosmic horror binge.

There are a few definitions of cosmic horror out there. H.P. Lovecraft is the name you’ll most often find associated with the genre, given he was one of the major people who defined it, though even he was inspired by others.

A very simple definition is that something is wrong in the world/universe – we don’t know what, we don’t know how or why, and we don’t have any ability to make any lasting change, or to stop it affecting us. It’s about the unimportance of humanity as it comes up against… something.

We don’t matter. It might manipulate or wipe us out without even being aware it’s doing it, or with the same level of thought as a child picking up and dropping an insect somewhere different just because they can. Not only do we not matter, but often the effect on us is simply unimportant to whatever it is.

After having rewatched John Carpenter’s In The Mouth of Madness, I did a little research and found a handful of lists of cosmic horror/Lovecraftian horror films. So now I’m slowly working my way through all that I’ve found.

I’m a firm believer in the less one knows about a film going in, the better. So below is the base list of what I’ve watched with a simple rating. For more details, and major spoilers for one or two, click the links. It’s likely to keep me going for a while, so as I write little reviews, I’ll put links to them back here so there’s an easy place to access them all.

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The Whisperer In Darkness

Posted on 27/08/2013 by dalekboy

The Whisperer In Darkness – 8/10

One of two films made by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. I like the approach of both, in that they looked to when the original short stories were written, then tried to film them in a way that echoed film-making from that time.

So this one is an early 1930’s film noir piece. My only complaint about the filming technique is that they don’t know quite how to work with black and white. There’s too many muted tones that show a lack of knowledge about what colours work with a black and white process, and there are small issues of contrast as well. But hell, major Hollywood film The Artist got the same stuff wrong.

I wanted to get my main complaint out of the way first, because I really liked this. I genuinely felt creeped out at times, and there was a growing sense of dread as the story progressed. It really is a very well done piece of film-making. It shows great restraint at times, and has a good feel for when to hint at things and when to finally show them.

Having not read the original story, I can’t say how faithful the adaptation is, but I suspect they’ve done a reasonable job. The effects work is well done too, using a wide range of techniques including computer graphics to mostly solid effect.

Overall, while not a perfect production, it is very, very good.

For links to the list of other cosmic horror films I’ve been watching, go here.

In the Mouth of Madness (minor spoilers)

Posted on 27/08/2013 by dalekboy

In The Mouth of Madness – 3/10

I like John Carpenter, but he just can’t manage subtle. And to me, the script here really needed it. Rather than a feeling of creeping dread, what we’re constantly told is “there’s something weird and wrong here…” and then we’re shown something weird and wrong.

There’s an old rule of story-telling – show don’t tell. In The Mouth Of Madness keeps doing both. Sometimes hinting at something is vastly more effective. This likes to telegraph its punches. So when the main character tells us that the sweet little old lady at the hotel wouldn’t hurt a fly, then mentions that the fictional version of her was a killer, we already know she’s going to be found doing something odd.

Later we get the scene with her at the desk. At one point she obviously kicks someone below the desk and we hear a groan. And if it had been left at that, it might have worked. But no, we get given a shot of the naked man cuffed to her leg. The whole film is like that. Clumsily setting up things, then saying “Oh look! Look at how strange and weird everything is!”

I know some people like it, but for me, it failed. And I really think a good portion of the problem comes from Carpenter’s choices.

For links to the list of other cosmic horror films I’ve been watching, go here.

Dalekboy’s Linky Goodness

Posted on 12/06/2013 by dalekboy

So, haven’t been posting here a lot because that thing called life keeps getting in the way. You remember life. Look away from the screen. There it is. Now quick, hide back here with me again.

I’ve got several pieces started here that I need to finish, but some were begun last year and I’m just not quite getting time to work on them. Or when I have time, I’m a bit too tired. But anyway, I have been doing some writing here and there, and I thought I might link to that, and to one or two other bits and pieces I like.

Get Off My Lawn, you damned nuWho kids!

Continue reading →

Classic Who – The Valeyard and Regenerations

Posted on 22/05/2013 by dalekboy

There are two things you need to know before we can talk about the Valeyard as being or idea. The first is that the concept for the character builds on, and is inspired by, the handling of regeneration from as far back as the second Doctor. The second and more important, is that the character came up at a time when the script editor and producer were at odds with one another – drastically affecting the quality of the whole season in which the Valeyard was featured, and the way he was eventually handled.

I’m going to try to minimise spoilers, so if I’m oddly vague about something that you think is common knowledge, be aware I’m trying to let people less well versed in the show’s history still have some of these surprises. Personally, if I know I’m going to read a specific book, or watch a specific film, I will usually avoid reading anything about it just so I can experience it as freshly as possible. That said, some spoilers are going to be unavoidable, especially when I talk about the Trial of a Time Lord season, and the Valeyard. There will almost certainly be spoilers in any comments.

One of the genius ideas with regards to Doctor Who was the whole concept of the lead character being able to change appearance, allowing the show a longevity far beyond what most actors would be able to achieve. Continue reading →

Classic Who – The Martian Legacy

Posted on 13/04/2013 by dalekboy

(A delayed post – I started writing this last year, then suddenly it’s the day before a new Ice Warrior story. So here it is with a quick final edit, for those of you who want a taster for what went before.)

Given they only ever had four televised stories (until tomorrow), it says a lot about the Ice Warriors that 38 years after their last televised adventure, they are still a popular alien race. They’ve been given a lot of life beyond those original TV tales with numerous appearances in comics, novels, and audio plays. Here I’ll just concentrate, in as non-spoilery a way as possible, on their televised appearances.

I think the key to the Ice Warriors’ popularity is that they are a rare race within the Doctor Who universe in that their plans and motivations are different in each of the stories in which they featured. While Daleks and Cybermen have more appearances, their stories are substantially less varied – those creations stopped being a race of aliens and became monsters – whereas the Ice Warriors changed organically over the course of their stories. Continue reading →

The Rings of Akhaten, and the importance of clarification in writing…

Posted on 13/04/2013 by dalekboy

Major Spoilers below the cut for The Rings of Akhaten, as I complain about how people miss the stuff that is spelled out clearly, and talk about the importance of clarity with regards to a story’s finale, and how modern Doctor Who seems unconcerned with such things. No major spoilers for Citizen Kane, though there are a couple of minor thematic ones.

Let me start by stating one thing very, very clearly – I really liked The Rings of Akhaten.

People talk about Doctor Who having a sense of wonder, but seldom is that evoked as clearly and beautifully as it is in this story. Forget the visuals, there are some conceptual ideas within this tale that are wonderful and lovely, and the main story does justice to them. I think this is another Dinosaurs on a Spaceship^[1], where people get so caught up in one or two details, they cheat themselves out of appreciating just how beautiful the core of the story is.

Continue reading →

BBC Project – The Naming of Names

Posted on 26/03/2013 by dalekboy

Okay, it’s been several months since my last post, but life got seriously in the way.

However, I’ve managed to mostly piece together the names of my co-conspirators on the BBC Project. I may have missed one or two, but maybe by putting up the names I do have, we can worry about filling in any blanks later.

So, first and foremost, Cliff Bowman. Seriously, someone give this guy a guest spot or at least a free membership and panel space to talk about the project. Or an interview in Doctor Who Magazine – c’mon, it’s the 50th Anniversary of the show, what better time to tell people about this?

Now, I’ve found two names from the BBC itself. Phil Balaam I have mentioned before as our contact in the BBC Wales Research and Development Department, but I also found that Nigel Partridge was involved. I believe Nigel was actually music, judging from the incomplete emails I’ve gone through.

Now the Who3D people that were involved as far as I’m aware were –

Paul Heslin
Rob Semenoff
Nathan Skreslet
Noel Wallace
Maybe Chris Sutor… not sure on that one.
And me, back when my name was still Danny Heap.

I also spoke to a chunk of local Australian talent. Hey, if you’ve got contacts, you use them. And I had access to award winning writers, artists, and people who had worked on major Hollywood motion pictures.

Apart from Nick, Richard, and Mondy, most of these were generally only one or two conversations to let them know the BBC Project existed, and gauging their willingness to help out. It was pointless to ask them for more given the project could fold at any point. But it gave us access to names that could help the cause and show we had access to a greater pool of talent than just the folks in Who3D.

Richard Freeland – Doctor Who fan extraordinaire, he has a solid knowledge of the show, and an excellence sense of story. He made some great story suggestions, and helped come up with the idea of Phoebe as a companion.

Ian Mond – Long time friend, he’s the one who first helped me to get a place writing for the Big Finish Short Trips collections. I’m quite fond of Mondy’s writing, but he was also my regular confidante, giving me someone I could talk to about everything that was happening, as we’d get together almost every week.

Nick Stathopoulos – Hugo nominated artist. Has also worked on films, TV, computer games. He also did some preliminary design work for us. You can find it in some previous posts.

Sean Williams – Multi award winning writer and New York Times bestseller. And big Doctor Who fan, and old mate.

Kate Orman & Jonathan Blum – Both of whom have written for the Doctor Who range, and are old mates.

Lewis Morley & Marilyn Pride – Yet more old mates (Australian science fiction fandom has been very good to me, in terms of friends and potential contacts), Lewis and Marilyn have worked on a range of very high profile films including Superman Returns, Mission Impossible 3, the Matrix series, and the Star Wars prequels.

Some of these folks may remember me talking to them, some may not – it was one or two conversations held a decade ago, remember.

I also had, through these and other friends, the ability to contact a range of other high profile talent. But naturally I wasn’t going to even think about pursuing those folks unless things actually got to the point where the series would be made. Basically if we had gotten to the pilot stage, I was going to be able to at least offer to contact some major genre names from the US and UK as potential writers for the series to make the idea of going ahead a much more attractive prospect – people like names.

And so that’s it for the moment. If anyone out there is in contact with Phil or Nigel, or any of the Who3D crew who were involved, please send them this way 🙂