Viewings: June 2022

June can essentially be summed up by Charles Dickens' "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," intro from A Tale of Two Cities. Ended up watching some great and terrible fims over this period.

Best discoveries were mostly new releases. Phil Tippett's Mad God, S.S. Rajamouli's RRR and David Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future were my personal highlights. Other flicks that entertained me were Riot in Cell Block 11, Dogs Don't Wear Pants, The Sadness and Beavis & Butt-Head Do the Universe.

Managed to cram in all seventeen episodes of the cult television series The Prisoner along the way, too. Seen some episodes in the past, but never the whole lot before. Can't believe a show this bizarre and cerebral was once prime time television back in the day. Really does feel like we are living in an intellectual dark age right now.

Tinkered with the blog's design again. Way more readable on both 4K and 1440p monitors and doesn't burn out people's retinas.

 

Film:

A Trip to the Moon (Georges Méliés, 1902)

Riot in Cell Block 11 (Don Siegel, 1954)*

Curse of the Crimson Altar (Vernon Sewell, 1968)

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Buñuel, 1972)

So Sweet, So Dead (Roberto Bianchi Montero, 1972)

Murder in a Blue World (Eloy de la Iglesia, 1973)*

The Island of the Fishmen (Sergio Martino, 1979)

Trancers (Charles Band, 1984)

The Monster Squad (Fred Dekker, 1987)

Road House (Rowdy Herrington, 1989)

Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth (Charles Band, 1991)

Fortress (Stuart Gordon, 1992)

Trancers III: Deth Lives (C. Courtney Joyner, 1992)*

Savage Harvest (Eric Stanze, 1994)*

Trancers 4: Jack of Swords (David Nutter, 1994)*

Hot Summer Nights (Elijah Bynum, 2018)*

Dogs Don't Wear Pants (J.-P. Valkeapää, 2019)*

Limbo (Soi Cheang, 2021)*

A Banquet (Ruth Paxton, 2022)*

Beavis & Butt-Head Do the Universe (Mike Judge, John Rice & Albert Calleros, 2022)*

Crimes of the Future (David Cronenberg, 2022)*

Firestarter (Keith Thomas, 2022)*

Mad God (Phil Tippett, 2022)*

RRR (S.S. Rajamouli, 2022)*

The Sadness (Rob Jabbaz, 2022)*

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Tom Gormican, 2022)*

Watcher (Chloe Okuno, 2022)*

 

Television:

The Prisoner - Season 1 (Patrick McGoohan, 1967 - 1968)*

Cursed Films - Season 1 (Jay Cheel, 2020)*

 

*First time viewings.

 

Dada Debaser Notes:

• Over a hundred and twenty years old, and A Trip to the Moon still looks unique to this day.
• Didn't have the willpower to watch the rest of the Trancers sequels. They are terrible.
  
• Soi Cheang's Limbo lacks real depth, but is blessed with truly stunning cinematography and production design; it's what separates it from the multitude of other nineties style serial killer films.
• As much as I fanboy over Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee, Barbara Steele in her iconic make-up and clobber which is featured in Curse of the Crimson Altar, is the biggest highlight for me.
  
• Not seen Stuart Gordon's sci-fi prison flick Fortress since it first came out. Forgotten how much fun it is.
  
• Ought to add Dogs Don't Wear Pants to my Alternative Valentine's Day Movies list.
• Rose Paxton's A Banquet failed to keep me invested in it. Felt like an episode of Nigella Bites at times with all the fancy food scenes. Most middle-class movie of the month.
• Shudder's Cursed Films mini-series was largely underwhelming and heavily reliant on loosely related filler in each episode.
  
• It might not be a perfect giallo, but I do love So Sweet, So Dead. The obvious day for night scenes don't really hinder it for me, plus that ending is so good.
  
• Rob Jabbaz's The Sadness does indeed share similarites to the comic book Crossed, but they both exist because of George A. Romero's The Crazies (1973), innit? Definitely not a Hollywood type film. Not seen eye socket sex since A Serbian Film (2010).
  

Dumpster Firestarter

Once in a blue moon, a remake comes along that outshines the original, Blumhouse Productions' cheap as chips Firestarter remake is objectively not one of them; in fact, we're six months in and it's already a very strong contender for the worst film of 2022.

On the positive tip, John Carpenter, along with his sprog and that other one who's not related to him, did compose the film's soundtrack. It just so happens to be the one saving grace of that cinematic atrocity.

It isn't the first time this year that The Carpenters Plus One have blessed a shite film with their music, since they also produced the titular Studio 666 for The Foo Fighters movie. A band movie that should have been a banned movie for Dave Grohl alone. On the subject of band movies, a better alternative is the first Killer Barbies film outing, mistakenly titled Killer Barbys (1996); helmed by none other than the dimunitive, Spanish king of exploitation horror, Jesús Franco. 

Carpenter has pretty much retired from film making, but here's hoping he carries on scoring films; preferably some good ones, at some point.

John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies - End Titles

(Firestarter Soundtrack, 2022)

John Carpenter · Firestarter (End Titles) [From Firestarter]

Long Live the New Sex

Crimes of the Future (David Cronenberg, 2022)

Brandon Cronenberg's burgeoning film career appears to have reignited his old man's propensity for body horror. It's a welcome return for David Cronenberg, since he's been absent from helming a film for several years and his latest, Crimes of the Future is his first forray into the genre which dubbed him the "king of venereal horror" in over twenty years. Throughout that time, Cronenberg managed to seperate himself from his peers such as Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper and George Romero, by successfully crossing over into mature drama, which, along with the adulation and praise, negatively attracted "serious" cinephiles, aka poncy c**ts. 

The future doesn't seem so advanced in Cronenberg's latest film. Infections no longer occur, so people don't bother to wash their hands, even after using the toilet; I mean, that sounds like most of the people I've witnessed in various public places, to be honest. Also, our sense of pain no longer exists, resulting in desktop surgeries being the new fad. The world of Crimes of the Future is very dirty and regressive looking; accommodations look like a Dickensian tramp's temporary lodgings, which makes location shooting in a European shithole like Athens absolutely perfect, in my humble opinion.

A ninja clad Viggo Mortensen plays Saul Tenser, a famous performance artist suffering from Accelerated Evolution Syndrome, a disease that makes his body produce novel organs. Along with his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), they provide Grand Guignol style surgical operations for artistic entertainment. Saul is laid conscious in a crablike chamber while his organs are surgically extracted with robotic devices controlled by Caprice. The grotesquely literal display of an artist bearing their all isn't exactly lost here and if you're fairly familiar with some of his prior films, it's the type of symbolism you would come to expect from a man like Cronenberg. These acts are perceived as sexual, to the point where he has a zipper modification for easier access to his internal organs; which leads to him receiving a disturbing stomach job from Caprice. Tenser also happens to liken these performances as rebellious acts of defiance against his body's condition.This stance has him aiding with a police divison (known as New Vice Unit), where he works as a mole to uncover a collective of radical extremists who consume purple candy bars made of plastic. The food of choice for modified digestive systems which allows them to eat plastics.

Despite the obvious controversy surrounding Crimes of the Future, there are some philosophical and ethical questions raised which resonated in my mind. This had me pondering over a completely irrelevant and fictional subject matter (at this present time at least) that struck a cord with me. That's worthy of some kind of respect, in my opinion. Mortensen and Seydoux work well together on screen and their chemistry helps the bizarre relationship seem believable. The rest of the supporting cast, including Kristen Stewart as the oddball New Organ Registry officer, aid with the illusion of this dystopian world, which in all honesty looks like it was mostly filmed in various abandoned crack dens.

Although not exploitational, there's an explicitly voyeuristic nature about Crimes of the Future, that forces the viewer to be a casual bystander, in the same manner as the audience watching Tenser's performance shows. Along with the people getting off in slashing and and stabbing blades in a consenting partner's body, it's extreme debauchery that will no doubt offend some peoples' sensibilities. I got the feeling that the concept of doggin' was fed into Cronenberg's brain and this was what he came up with. It's all very macabre and shocking, yet it does serve a sincere purpose as part of the world building process.

Big fan of the breakfaster chair that moves about and groans to aid with digestion. That thing was hilarious on screen. Viggo Mortensen pulling weird faces trying to eat what seems like a green steak and kidney pudding was one of my favourite scenes in the film. The rest of the weird tech are also bizarrely organic looking and are the only real props in the film that suggest this is set sometime in the not too distant future.

Worth pointing out that Howard Shore's mix of synthwave and acoustic sounds really accentuate the two contrasting factions presented within the film. Other than the main theme, Klinek stood out the most for me with its cyberpunk vibe.

Crimes of the Future feels like Cronenberg's most satisfying film since pehaps eXistenZ (1999). Largely because it's a return to the types of movie I have forever associated him with. It's also due to the fact that I objectively find this his most balanced and complete production amongst his later films. Definitely a personal highlight for me this year. Really grateful this doesn't have anything to do with Croneberg's 1970 film with the same name, because I found that dire. You've come along way since then, Dave! 

Thought I'd hung up my extreme cinema pass long ago, yet this and Mad God (2022) are both films that would be classed in this category and I've thoroughly enjoyed them.

South of Heaven

Mad God (Phil Tippett, 2022)

With CGI taking so much prominence in today's animated features, it's refreshing to see the return of stop-motion again with Mad God; even more so since it's intended for a mature audience. It's a method that has a far more human element to it, which makes it endearing than any computer generated creation, regardless of how surreal it potenitally is. It's the reason why creations by Phil Tippett are still so appealling today. So then, where do you even begin when tasked with even describing Tippett's labour of love project which stretches back over thirty years? Insanity and suffering. Pure and simple.

From the opening text which quotes a passage from the book of Leviticus, the viewer experiences a relentless assault of hellish imagery, which will make you thankful for it's relatively short run time of eighty-three minutes. A diving bell descends down towards an apocalyptic landscape; it's passenger, a cyberpunk style assassin dangerously navigating through the depths of Hell. Twisted and grotesque lifeforms inhabit the various levels he descends further down. While the viewer attempts to process these various nightmare surroundings, they are made privvy to the complete insanity and senseless destruction of Mad God's inhabitants. Life is stripped away so horrificly, it begins to feel so senselessly comedic at times.

This has to be the most breath taking, yet extreme film I've watched so far this year and would be hard pressed to top for the remainder. In terms of visual style, it's like Aardman Animations consumed loads of ketamine while drawing inspiration from Hieronymous Bosch paintings tattooed inside their corneas. Each scene is pure uncut nightmare fuel. The series of vignettes which compose of the film, containing characters ranging from The Assassins, The Surgeon, The Last Man (played by Alex Cox) and The Alchemist, all procedurally flow on from one another. This results into being bludgeoned with examples of gruesome destruction without providing any respite. Truth be told, it's almost alarming that this disturbingly grotesque project would be lying dormant in the twisted mind of Phil Tippett for so long; on the other hand, I find his horrific endeavour entirely commendable for maintaining such focus all this length of time.

Mad God has no real dialogue; garbled gibberish serve as the odd scenes of speech you get to hear. There are plenty of other sounds though, particularly the baby cries emanating from a mutant looking worm ripped from the chest of its host. The sounds of baby crying always sound very distressing; this occurs in the feature for a particularly long time and will test the mettle of anyone. This example, along with the absurdedly perpetual suffering and destruction of the denizens who appear in the animated feature make this a tough watch, even for a seasoned horror head like me. It would be entirely fair to label this an example of extreme cinema, but it's nowhere near as exploitative than some of the crop it will get lumped with. Actions are the only real narrative, as a result its fundamental message might appear somewhat abstract and open to interpretation for its viewers. Although, I find its meaning far more transparent than plenty of older surrealist works which I still fail to comprehend. 

I absolutely loved it. It's taken me ages to put my final thoughts together since it's so uniquely abstract it's taken a longer than usual period to process it. It's a film to marinate over a bit longer than usual since it's so unconventional. Is Mad God Phil Tippett's magnum opus? Possibly. A thoroughly demented labour of love like this doesn't really come along very often, does it?

When Worlds Collide

When it comes to being a film fanatic, one of the oddest scenarios to occur is when my personal palate and those belonging to chin-stroking kino heads intersect in the ven diagram of common agreement. However, these fleeting occurrences are often driven by rather different and totally juvenile levels of appreciation. To paraphrase the late great Eric Morcambe, "I'm watching all the right films, but not necessarily for the right reasons". Below are eight examples of this:

Belle du Jour (Luis Buñuel, 1967)

Seeing the French blonde bombshell, Catherine Deneuve play a frigid housewife unshackling her hidden inner slut, is the stuff cinema was made for. Is it real, or is it fantasy? Who cares? I consider this film heaps of entertainment, not just for Deneuve's character transition, but for the hilariously depraved weirdo clientelle that comes calling; one of which is a rich perv knocking one out while Deneuve is pretending to be dead in a coffin above him.

The Iron Rose (Jean Rollin, 1973)

Great example of a film maker receiving a posthumous revisionist revival after being dismissed as an exploitaive eurotrash film maker is Jean Rollin. Can't say I'm a fan of all his films that I've happened to see, but The Iron Rose is one that I enjoy most of all. Partly because the idea of a couple winding up in a creepy cemetery overnight is something I can relate to; while the other, is Françoise Pascal, aka Danielle the French student from Mind Your Language, getting her kit off in it. All seriousness though, I love the atmosphere in this film and it's one where I don't roll my eyes with cringe whenever artsty-fartsy types delve about it's poetic beauty, as I shockingly agree with it.

In the Realm of the Senses (Nagisa Ōshima, 1976)

Art or pornography? Who honestly cares? It's an excuse for pretentious folk to get their rocks off, regardless. Oshima's film based on an apparently true story dealing with the destructive affair between a concubine and her master, is anything but arousing for this blogger. It's the humour that makes this film largely watchable between all the graphic unsimulated sex scenes. One scene in particular where an old codger catches a whiff of Sada the concubine's rotten crotch and says, "You don't smell very good today, like a dead rat or something", is laugh out loud hilarious. Critics praise it for its daring while Radley Metzger doesn't get a look in, but that's ok, since I dig them both and that's all that matters.

Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977)

Going to pull my horror movie snob card here: If ever a film got hijacked by an insufferably annoying and pretentious crowd, it's Argento's supernatural girl-school masterpiece, Suspiria. Without fail, some tublrina or letterboxd hipster will make the ignorant statement that it's their "favourite giallo", and I will sink my head into my hands with complete despair. Luca Guadagino's 2018 remake unintentionally did me a small favour, since a bunch of these ignorant twats abandoned ship and falsely picked the inferior version as their fave over Argento's. For me personally, Suspiria is a top ten of all time. It fulfills all the criteria I'm after in a classic film, but one unique reason why I like it a lot is the, "you have been watching 'SUSPIRIA'", message on the English dubs end titles. It reminds me of the David Croft and Jimmy Perry scripted British sitcoms, like Dad's Army, It Ain't Half  Hot, Mum, Hi-de-Hi! and  'Allo, 'Allo did the same thing at the end of each episode.

Possession (Andrzej Zulawski, 1981)

1981 was arguably a great vintage year for horror film. One film which won over critics and fans alike was Zulawski's marriage story starring Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani. The latter invested so much emotionally into the film, it took several years for her to recover, allegedly. Both Neill and Adjani deliver intensely powerful and disturbing performances, that it becomes incredibly draining for the viewer to watch, that it becomes difficult to revist again any time soon.The subway miscarriage scene is the stuff nightmares are made of for even the most seasones of horror film veterans.

Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986)

Always love it when films show a dark sinister side beneath the veneer of a vintage Americana aesthetic. Right from Blue Velvet's opening sequence, it's very evident. The grotesquely erotic and intentional humour are the film's biggest draws for me. Dennis Hopper using a breathing mask and screaming, "Mommy!" while staring in between Isabella Rossellini's legs isn't exactly a scene you're ever going to erase from your mind anytime soon. Although, I don't consider it his objectively best film, Blue Velvet is subjectively his most appealing to me. It's the gateway into Lynch's twisted body of work that I previously felt was obstructed by Eraserhead (1977). Also, Roger Ebert slated it; which is another reason why I always considered him an overrated film critic.

Crash (David Cronenberg, 1996)

The number one film on the BFI's 90 Great Films of the 1990s list. A dark drama involving an underground culture erotically attracted to car crashes. The film was so controversial here that it made the news headlines, but the film to me was really fascinating and somewhat funny having to watch people getting off on cart wrecks, injuries and even death, that they're compelled to recreate Jayne Masfield's car crash. Cronenberg is usually a cold and calculated director, it's especially applicable here, but he gets props from me since this film was the fittest Deborah Ungar ever looked, and even Rosanna Arquette was rather tasty, despite the fucked up leg braces and flesh scarring. 

Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer, 2013)

Hard to believe that one of  the best science fiction films to spring so far in the twenty-first century is one where an alien Scarlett Johansson would prowl the rain-soaked streets of Glasgow in a white van picking up drunken chavs, but here we are. It's a return to seventies era sci-fi where the concept and atmosphere do much of the story telling; something that's sadly mostly missing in many contemporary films in this genre. I feel like Glazer's film belongs in the same British off-kilter sci-fi horror box as Prey (1977) and Xtro (1982), which really adds to my appreciation of it. Not a sentiment that critics and other film heads would share with me, in my opinion.

Going to end it here. This is my second attempt creating this post and I don't want to tempt fate and accidentally delete it again while attempting to format it. You get the gist of it anyway.

Exploited Cinema

It's official, the boutique blu-ray market has legitimately become a luxury for rich people. Historians will claim it has always been that way, ever since the days when Criterion came along and flaunted their overpriced DVDs with fancy designs to pretentious cinenphiles. Ripping off trustafarians is all well and good, but this eventually spilled over to genre specialist labels like Arrow and Vinegar Syndrome and affected common riff-raff  such as myself. Who would have thought a film like an out of print copy of Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988) would be some highly desirable title by boutique blu-ray enthusiasts? The answer: it's because of the cardboard slip cover. Idiots are buying this shit for the fancy packaging.

Of course, your average genre movie fan wanting to pick up a particular title not only has to contend with rich enthusiasts and blind buyers suffering from FOMO, but scalpers, too. It's getting to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if some savvy heads will wind up using bots like the sneaker and GPU market (not since the crypto crash) to cop that limited edition that sells out overnight.

Here's the obligatory bit where I go into a song and dance about physical media being the only true preservation of film and censorship has now become more prevalent amongst streaming sites. A world without Blu-Rays and DVDs is a world where we're one step closer to reciting our favourite films like the book people from Fahrenheit 451 (1966).

Now, my own hands are hardly clean, since I too copped that Second Sight Dawn of the Dead 4K limited edition, just like everyone else back in the day, but even I know this farce has gone too far. We've reached the point where it has become increasingly elitist and insular and will predictably lead to less films being discovered by the masses. That's just as detrimental as the various streaming sites tampering with the cinema from the past, in my opinion.

The Three Rs

RRR (S.S. Rajamouli, 2022)

Considering how creatively bankrupt Hollywood has been in what feels like forever, it's only natural that foreign film territories become much more enticing to an outside audience. One such film is S.S. Rajamouli's Indian box-office extravaganza, RRR, aka Rise, Roar, Revolt. Glad I gave this film a chance since it definitely was one of the most rewarding film experiences I have had so far this year. From the moment when Raju (Ram Charan) goes flying into a rabid mob, at least a thousand deep, laying the smackdown on anyone obstructing him from arresting a vandal, I knew RRR was worthy of my time.

Set in 1920's India, the film revolves around its two lead protoganists, Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) and Raju as both their distinctive paths draws them together in confronting the British Empire. What's appealing about these two men is how they are realised as two almost god-like entities, not just in their depictions of superhuman strength and resilience, but in their personifications of the elements fire and water. Marvel and DC take note! Seeing the druidic like Bheem burst out of a truck with a horde of tigers, leopards, wolves and stags in a trojan horse style raid, at a British uppercrust soiree, really is a glorious sight to behold. Speaking of Brits, it's great to see Ray Stevenson, the G.O.A.T Frank Castle, as the film's big villain, along with Alison Doody, aka that fit Elsa fräulein, who got pressed by the Jones boys in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusdade (1989), playing his utterly sadistic wife. What's all the more enticing about RRR is that these scenes of marvellous spectacle are blessed throughout the film. For what it's worth, this blend of Fast & Furious O.T.T. theatrical set pieces and the exotic setting, really harken to my love of action films from a bygone era.

They say opposites attract and this appears true since both Bheem and Raju have the greatest onscreen bromance since Detectives Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett blessed the silver screen. The chemistry between both lead characters appeared genuinely sincere and as a result it made me feel invested in the pair. In the case of Raju who initially appeared as a heel, it felt rewarding seeing his story unfold; replete with his back story, which provides a fantastic motivation to his persona. The link to Michael Bay's Bad Boys glory days does not end there however, as the sense of sheer spectacle is evident throughout; from ludicrously grandiose action set pieces to the resplendently eye-popping visuals.

The pacing for the film ranges from mid to high tempo and it ought to be as it clocks in at a whopping one hundred and eighty-seven minutes. RRR expertly balances drama with the high octane action without choosing one over the other; that's another reason why time rushes by so quickly for it. Thumbs up then, since it's a feat where Matt Reeves' The Batman (2022), which has a similar running time, almost sent me to the Land of Nod with just how boring I found it.

It's not all perfect however, there are some issues that I had with the film; namely a romance subplot between Bheem and his English love interest, Jennifer (Olivia Morris) which fizzled out and was largely forgotten during the second half of the film. There's also my dislike for musical dance numbers, and while it's kept to a bare minimum in RRR, it does stick out like a sore thumb for me. The scene where Bheem is singing about the luscious life-giving forest while being flailed with a flesh-ripping, razor-studded bull whip, does require massive amounts of suspension in disbelief, but then again, the film is not expected to be treated in a seriously realistic vein. MCU stans might take issue with the overall quality of the visual effects, but this isn't a Hollywood tent pole movie with the same level of resources at hand. In any case, I felt they were part of the charm to the film and made it all the more endearing.

In summary, what really ought to be commended about Rajamouli's film is its forthright attitude in being an authentic crowd pleaser without sacrificing any of its brutal scenes to appease easily triggered individuals. Ultimately, RRR is a film which is deceptively wrapped in the packaging of a wholesome family movie, yet it offers immense levels of entertainment for seasoned genre film fans to boot. Which makes this a film thoroughly worth admiring, in my honest opinion.

The Unbearable Disappointment of Wasted Potential

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Tom Gormican, 2022)

Don't usually feel the need to go into depth about movies that fail to wow me over. I'm willing to make an exception here however since Tom Gormican's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent has a unique selling point that I, along with multiple others, made it onto our radar - Nicolas Cage playing Nicolas Cage. Yes, this meta-style movie (sick of that description) purports to give us the legendary wild-child of Hollywood a film where he's being himself. Pressing 'X' to doubt, since as great as that sounds, I can barely differentiate him from many of his other roles. But I'm jumping ahead of myself here and would much rather prefer where the film's major problem lies.

The writing for is simply lacklustre and fails to match its creative premise. The film gets off on the good foot by showing the viewer what's supposedly a day in the life of our modern day thespian.This ranges from highlighting his expensive and lavish lifestyle, landing film parts and his relationships with his ex-wife, Olivia (Sharon Horgan) and his daughter, Addy (Lily Sheen). These opening minutes are in my opinion some of the best scenes from the film as they're entertainingly satirical and pertain welcome criticism on Hollywood's film industry. A huge shame then as it immediatley ditches all that and plonks Cage in Majorca for some convoluted action comedy, where he's forced to become the heroic protagonist, like many of his on screen incarnations.

The best thing about The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is watching Cage interact with his imaginary friend Nicky; a manifestation of Cage's former self during his Wild At Heart (1990) era. Those scenes are reminscent of Drop Dead Fred (1991) the best moments in the film, yet are few and far between. Instead, the film spends laborious time and effort on Cage becoming a C.I.A operative and uncover the whereabouts of a politician's kidnapped daughter and how Cage's fanboy host, Javi (Pedro Pascal) is associated to it. If it all sounds somewhat generic and formulaic, that's because it is. Some of the gags and references to Cage's work do land well, others feel like an after thought, like the "NOT THE BEES!", line being forced into the film. It all feels half-hearted and a little dishonest to me. It's a meta gimmick strecthed out into a two-hour long bland action comedy. Even the supporting cast seem to be aware they're in a formulaic comedy, since they make nauseating over the top reactions, and in Horgan's case, she takes it into Russell Brand levels of annoyance. Since the cast fail to take any of the events remotely seriously, it really breaks the premise of Cage having to be a fish out of water. Since they can't do that, I don't see why the audience should feel indebted to so, either. It fundamentally breaks the meta concept since its attempt to go one state further with its Nic-ception and end with a film adapatation of the events that take place (Demi Moore as his on-screen ex-wife this time), all feels equally as hollow as what took place in the film.

What really nags me about this film is just how much creative potential feels squandered. The film J.C.V. D (2008) did a far better job of distinguishing the reality and expectations of the legendary action star Jean-Claude Van Damme without copping out on its premise; not to mention in giving us one of the G.O.A.T monologues in cinema. None of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent feels remotely authentic and that's what makes it such a wasted opportunity, because this had the potential to be another major highlight in Cage's late career like Mandy (2018). It's not a completely terrible film, but it is a wholly mediocre one; which is such a pity, as it had some actual potential.

Dada Debaser Bonus: 

Witnessing the uncanny valley of young Nic Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent had me hitting YouTube searching for that time he once appeared on BBC chatshow Wogan, while out promoting his classic film Wild At Heart (1990), where he gave a completely surreal interview. Be amazed as he condenses his larger than life persona into several minutes of unforgetable television. So good in fact, that it became the obvious source of Cage's imaginary friend / moral conscience in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

Wogan (Nicolas Cage Interview)

Terry Wogan, 1990

The Moment I Feared: Part 2

Salem's Lot (First Window Scene)

Tobe Hooper, 1979

Ask any discerning horror film fan and creepy kids are far more terrifying than your run-of-the-mill machete wielding maniac. A great example is Tobe Hooper's classic mini-series adapation of Stephen King's (remember when he was good?) Salem's Lot (1979). There were a bunch of great scenes throughout the two episodes, like Reggie Nalder's iconic, Kurt Barlow (no relation to Ken), but the big scare for yours truly was witnessing little undead Ralphie Glick floating in mid air and scratching at his brother, Danny's bedroom window. Seeing that kid hovering outside a first floor window in his jim-jams with that ghastly grimace, was pure nightmare fuel for a prepubescent Sparty. A remarkably bloodless scene, but abundantly atmospheric in its execution. Proof enough that Tobe Hooper was never ever a one-trick pony with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). I mean, Hooper already made Eaten Alive (1976) by then, but I didn't even know about that film when I was a kid.

Astonishingly, this scene has left a huge lasting impression for this blogger and it serves as a constant reminder to never forget to draw the bedroom curtains. Not just because of some pervy peeping tom outside my yard, but the odd chance some creepy vampire child might be floating outside my bedroom window. Chances of such a ridiculous scenario ever happening are obviously zero, but having such a chilling memory etched upon you from such a young age, it kind of carves a slither of doubt upon the grey matter, innit? In any case, Salem's Lot will always get props from me for providing one of those rare times I was too shook to sleep.

Our Choons Electric

Bebe & Louis Barron - Forbidden Planet: Main Titles Overture

(Forbidden Planet soundtrack, 1956)

 

Somewhat kicking myself at my blatant omission of Bebe & Louis Barron's soundtrack for Fred M. Wilcox's science fiction classic Forbidden Planet (1956) for the Year by Ear challenge. Not sure I would have still made it as far back to Bernard Herrmann's eerily spectacular theremin infused sounds in Robert Wise's The Day the Earth Stood Still like I had originally hoped, but it would have been one more year off the list, regardless.
 

In any case, now is a good time as any to compile a list of some of my favourite electronic soundtrack compositions to compliment my favourite Blaxploitation and Euro-Funk soundtrack jams. The beauty of those lists was I didn't feel so remorseful about the non-inclusion of many tracks in the challenge since they were already respectively covered in dedicated posts.

Whether it's the otherworldly theremin, oscillating pulse modulation sound waves from an antiquated sound lab or the convenience of the popular synthesizer, they are part and parcel to the films that I adore. Crazy to think that extraterrestial life-forms, killer robots and flesh-eating zombies have their own trademark electronic sounds to accompany them. Thus, a list of my favourites below: 

 

 Favourite Electronic Soundtrack Compositions

Bernard Herrmann - GORT / The Visor / The Telescope (The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951)

Spencer Moore - Theme (Teenagers from Outer Space, 1959)

Pierre Raph - Crotch Batterie (Requiem for a Vampire, 1971)

Wendy Carlos - Theme from A Clockwork Orange (A Clockwork Orange, 1972)

Will Malone - Main Theme (Death Line aka Raw Meat, 1972)

John Carpenter - Main Title (Assault on Precinct 13, 1976)

Ivor Slaney - Easy Prey (Prey, 1977)

Goblin - Suspiria (Suspiria, 1977)

Tangerine Dream - Betrayal (Sorcerer, 1977)

John Carpenter - Halloween Theme (Halloween, 1978)

Giorgio Moroder - The Chase (Midnight Express, 1978)

Riz Ortolani - Il Corpo di Linda (The Pyjama Girl Case, 1978)

Goblin - L'Alba Dei Morti Viventi (Dawn of the Dead, 1978)

Goblin - Main Titles (Buio Omega / Beyond the Darkness, 1979)

Fred Myrow & Malcom Seagrave - Intro & Main Theme (Phantasm , 1979)

Fabio Frizzi - Main Title (Zombie / Zombi 2 / Zombie Flesh Eaters, 1979)

Barry DeVarzon - Wonder Wheel (Main Title) (The Warriors, 1979)

Stelvio Cipriani - Deathwatch (Ring of Darkness, 1979)

Francis Monkman - Taken (The Long Good Friday, 1980)

Riz Ortolani - Adulteress' Punishment (Cannibal Holocaust, 1980)

Queen - Ming's Theme (Flash Gordon, 1980)

Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind - The Shining (Main Title) (The Shining, 1980)

Simonett, Pignatelli & Morante - Tenebre (Tenebre, 1980)

The Wonderland Philharmonic - Lone Wolf's Theme (Shogun Assassin, 1980)

Tim Krog - The Boogey Man (Version 3) (The Boogey Man, 1980)

Keith Emerson - Mater Tenebrarum (Inferno, 1980)

Marcello Giombini - La bestia nello spazio 16 (Beast in Space, 1980)

Jay Chattaway - Subway Chase (Maniac, 1980)

Nico Fidenco - Zombie Parade (Zombie Holocaust / Dr. Butcher M.D, 1980)

John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - The Shape Stalks Again (Halloween II, 1981)

John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - The Duke Arrives / Barricade (Escape from New York, 1981)

Tangerine Dream - Beach Scene (Thief, 1981)

Rick Wakeman - Theme from The Burning (The Burning, 1981)

Fabio Frizzi - Sequenza Ritmica E Tema (The Beyond, 1981)

Howard Shore - 801 A-B (Videodrome, 1982)

John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Main Theme / Chariots of Pumpkins (Halloween III: Season of the Witch, 1982)

Jimmy Page - A Shadow in the City (Death Wish II, 1982)

John Harrison - Something to Tide You Over (Creepshow, 1982)

Vangelis - End Titles (Blade Runner, 1982)

Henry Manfredini - Main Theme (Friday the 13th Part III, 1982)

Ennio Morricone - Main Theme (The Thing, 1982)

Jonathan Newton - Nancy Tries to Leave (Unhinged, 1982)

Charles Bernstein - Bath Attack (The Entity, 1982)

Giorgio Moroder - Tony's Theme (Scarface, 1983)

Tangerine Dream - Love on a Real Train (Risky Business, 1983)

John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Moochie's Death (Christine, 1983)

Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F (Beverly Hills Cop, 1984)

Charles Bernstein - Main Title (A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984)

Brad Fiedel - Main Theme (The Terminator, 1985)

Vince DiCola - Training Montage (Rocky IV, 1985)

Brad Fiedel - Come to Me (Instrumental) (1985)

Claudio Simonetti - Demon (Demons, 1985)

Claudio Simonetti - Phenomena (Phenomena, 1985)

Simon Boswell - Sharp Groove (Stagefright, 1987)

Sinoia Caves - Run Program: Sentionauts (Beyond the Black Rainbow, 2010)

Power Glove - Hunters (Hobo With a Shotgun, 2011)

Rob - Doll (Maniac, 2012)

Paul Leonard-Morgan - The Rise of Ma-Ma (Dredd, 2012)

Mica Levi - Love (Under the Skin, 2013)

Disasterpeace - Old Maid (It Follows, 2014)

Julian Winding - The Demon Dance (Neon Demon, 2016)

Oneohtrix Point Never - Leaving the Park (Good Time, 2017)

Jóhan Jóhannsson - Death and Ashes (Mandy, 2018)

Motherf@@king right John Carpenter is all over this list, and it would have been even more of his music if I included more than just one track from each of his films (with the exception of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, since those first two tracks blend together so seamlessly).

Intentionally left out Dominique Ney & Claude Germain's Générique from Don't Deliver Us From Evil (1971), since I honestly can't distinquish if it's an electric organ being heard, or not. Love it, regardless. Also omitted Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells since it doesn't really qualify as it wasn't produced for The Exorcist, but I do concede it's great hearing it in the film.

The interesting thing about this list is the obvious eighties throwback renaissance which became part of the noughties culural zeitgeist eventually made its presence evident before it handed things over to the 2010s. Also, I can't immediatley recall any memorable electronic style soundtrack compositions from the nineties, other than Brad Fiedel's Terminator 2 Theme, but the original trumps it unequivocally, imo. 

It's also cool hearing elements of these soundtracks making their way into tracks I adore either via sampling or from obvious inspiration.

Dada Debaser Bonus:

Can't really sign off on this post without including two joints that don't really qualify since they are from television rather than cinema, but they're both personal classics and I have nothing but love for them:

Ron Grainer & Delia Derbyshire - Doctor Who (Original Theme)

(Doctor Who soundtrack, 1963)

 

Barry DeVorzon - V The Final Battle (Version 2 Theme)

(V soundtrack, 1984)

 

Unapologetic nostalgia based on the pair of them, however, both of these tunes have endured the test of time, imo; randomly getting spins in my mind's jukebox ever since first hearing them.