There'll Be Masterpieces

Scarlet Street (Fritz Lang, 1945)

To distance myself from this year’s cinematic tripe, I sought a vintage film. A public domain title from a YouTube channel I subscribe to caught my eye; Fritz Lang’s film noir Scarlet Street (1945). There is a particular satisfaction in experiencing a film for the first time, especially one as old as Scarlet Street, which exceeds all expectations and predictions. Given the film’s focus on deception, it is ironic that it actually fooled me.

Chris Cross (Edward G. Robinson) is a middle-aged dreamer whose life feels unfulfilled. He would rather be a fine art painter than a cashier. His boss’s affair with a young woman further exacerbates his drudgery. He is also burdened by his domineering wife Adele (Rosalind Ivan) who idolises her late husband and is more interested in her radio show The Happy Household Hour. Returning home from a formal dinner party, Chris accidentally knocks out a mugger with his umbrella while rescuing Katherine ‘Kitty’ March (Joan Bennet*). Unbeknownst to Chris, the mugger is Kitty’s boyfriend Johnny Prince (Dan Duryea) who she conceals from him after persuading him not to report the attack to the police. Kitty presumes Chris is wealthy given his formal attire. She is also aware of his gullibility and sees potential in charming some money out of him. The hustle is set.

Edward G. Robinson portrays Chris Cross, a man experiencing a mid-life crisis, with remarkable authenticity. The character was already diminished to an impotent individual well before succumbing to the influence of Bennet’s femme fatale. His unhappy marriage has him reduced to doing all the domestic work in the home. To keep out of Adele's way, he's forced to do his weekend painting in the bathroom. In a notable scene, Chris is depicted wearing an impractical frilly apron as he carves liver for dinner. At that moment, Adele enters and interrogates him about his relationship with Kitty. Is his affair with Kitty rumbled? The camera zooms in on him as he stares at the knife in his hand. Robinson’s expression conveys the turmoil within his mind.

Similarly, Joan Bennet’s Kitty is another unfortunate individual; despite her deceitful nature she remains a victim. She is constantly abused by Johnny and her money is frequently stolen from her. Her appearance is merely a tool for her boyfriend to exploit on gullible men. Yet she is hopelessly in love with him, even addicted to his influence. Her cruel control over Chris is a reversal of her relationship with Johnny. Consequently, selling Chris’s lucrative paintings, even taking credit for them, highlights her indifference towards the hapless cashier. In the ultimate act of domination, when Chris asks her to paint her, she hands him a bottle of nail polish and raises her foot. “Paint me, Chris! Obligingly, he stoops to one knee and paints her toes. Like a cat with cream, she declares “They’ll be masterpieces.” In that moment I both admired Joan Bennet’s performance and wished for a fitting consequence for her character.

Dan Duryea’s portrayal of Johnny Prince should not be underestimated. His dominance over Kitty and dependency on money completes the ménage à trois of deception. Kitty is thus a tool for him to exploit. However, he is intelligent enough to be aware that Chris is the golden goose in the love triangle. Without him there is no fancy pad, fast car and wads of cash. Duryea’s conman is a compelling character. Initially he pretends to be a boyfriend of Kitty’s friend Millie Ray (Margaret Lindsay) but Chris has his suspicions. These are proven correct when he encounters Kitty and Johnny in a loving embrace which effectively triggers the film’s chilling direction.

Scarlet Street was not the first adaptation of Georges de La Fouchardière’s 1929 novel La Chienne (translating to English as The Bitch). That honour would go to the French dramatist André Mouëzy-Éon’s 1930 stage play. Jean Renoir would adapt it for film the following year. Scarlet Street was a reunion for its three main actors and director, as they had all worked together the previous year on The Woman in the Window (1944). Scarlet Street shares many similarities with its earlier French counterpart, although it had to adhere to the Hays Code at the time. Consequently, the professions of its two con artists were made considerably more vague including Edward G. Robinson’s. The film was still banned in some states. Having recently watched Renoir’s film, I find Scarlet Street considerably superior. 

The subplot involving Adele’s first husband is a notable element of Renoir’s La Chienne that surpasses Lang’s remake. It is less awkwardly introduced in Renoir’s film. However, this is not sufficient reason to choose it over Scarlet Street. Lang’s film is superior in every other department; better direction, superior acting, beautifully photographed scenes and no jarring time jumps. Furthermore, Lang draws upon his German Expressionist roots in the final ten minutes, veering into psychological horror territory. This is surprisingly downbeat given the era and beyond the black comedy of Renoir's original. In conclusion, only the most pretentious of cinephiles would opt for La Chienne over Scarlet Street. The cinematic equivalent of someone preferring Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower over Jimi Hendrix’s superior cover.

Scarlet Street is a highly engaging film noir from Fritz Lang. It shifts between comedy and melodrama at times before concluding in Poe-esque horror. A cautionary morality tale at its core, it features a particularly early scene where the superstitious Cross is the third to have his cigar lit with the same match. Despite crossing his fingers, it spells doom for all of Lang’s characters. While one might escape justice, no one escapes their fate. An excellent film.

 *Didn't realise Joan Bennet was Madame Blanc in Dario Argento's Suspiria (1977) until now.

Seven Nation Army

The BBC just released the Blu-Ray box set for the second season in Terry Nation's dystopian, space opera Blake 7. Naturally, I put my film watching on hold and binged through it like my life depended on it.

Many of the points I addressed in a blog post dedicated to the first season are just as valid here. Therefore, to avoid repeating it all again, here's an episode guide on the second season of the science fiction series.

Redemption 

Liberator, the mysterious alien spacecraft commandeered by Blake and his crew, is shown being destroyed in last season's cliffhanger finale. It's revealed as a prophetic vision by Orac, the supercomputer and one seventh of Blake's posse. Avon deduces that identifying the star constellation in the background of Orac's prophecy, the Liberator can avoid its destruction. Shortly afterwards, the ship is attacked and pursued by unknown spacecrafts. The Liberator attempts to flee, but is eventually controlled remotely by The System, a computer network created by an advanced alien civilisation, revealed to be the creators of the Liberator.

Terry Nation ends his streak as the sole writer of the series on a high. A rewarding season opener as the Liberator's origin sheds some of the mystique about the ship. Really enjoyed the scene where Blake has to wrestle with the Liberator's cables and circuitry; like they were snakes. I also found it funny seeing the Altas, a bunch of saggy-arsed, hive-minded and cold-blooded women being connected with the Liberator; a ship that looks like it was kit-bashed from a sex toy by the effects department. Rating: 9/10

Shadow

Blake goes to Space City seeking aid against the Terran Federation from the criminal underworld known as the Terra Nostra (see what they did?). Furthermore, Orac and Cally, the telepathic member of Blake's gang, are confronted by a psychic alien entity. Cally manages to combat the invisible enemey with the use of moon discs (they look like brown pebbles), the products used by the Terra Nostra to harvest the narcotic Shadow.

Dud episode! Terry Nation proves how big his shoes are to fill with script editor Chris Boucher taking control of the writing reins. The episode is a convoluted mess and hard to believe it's written by the same creative mind responsible for the seminal Doctor Who story The Robots of Death. Cally is a complete buzzkill once the episode focuses primarily on her. The episode really drags by all the hallucinatory imagery of Cally being trapped inside Orac or when a bunch of pebbles are laughably placed all over Cally. The Terra Nostra plot isn't enjoyable, either. The so-called gangsters are nothing but a bunch of stuck-up, English toffs in brown velour suits rather than resembling anything shady or scary. Also, it's no surprise when it's revealed the Terra Nostra is also controlled by the Federation. Worst of all, is seeing Karl Howman, from the awful sitcom Brush Strokes and the former British video nasty Exposé (1976), playing one-half of a pair of pixie-looking junkies being Shadow addicts. The siblings reminded me of Wilykit and Wilykat from Thundercats and were insufferable. Rating: 4/10

Weapon

Both the Liberator's crew and the Federation go searching for the fugitive scientist Coser, the developer of a powerful weapon known as I.M.I.P.A.K. (Induced Molecular Instability Projector And Key). A deadly device able to mark its target with dark matter and be detonated from an extremely long range (a million miles, or so). Servalan and Travis (in the latter's case; merely canonically) are back. The devious pair employ the genius psychostrategist (otherwise known as a "puppeteer") Carnell to pinpoint Coser's whereabouts, while also lure out the scientist with a clone of Blake.

A far better episode from Chris Boucher compared to his previous one. Great to see Servalan back in her sadistic glory again, although, I really can't say the same for Travis given how Brian Croucher's performance is so jarringly different when compared to what made Stephen Greif's version so memorable from the first season. Enjoyed seeing the I.M.I.P.A.K.weapon in action; at first against a clawed, alien beast, and once again on Blake and his comrades Avon and Gan. I also got a kick out of seeing British horror scream queen Candace Glendenning as Rashel, a freed slave on the run with Coser. Weapon has a worse IMDb rating than Shadow; which is bizarre, since it's a big improvement and far more enjoyable. Rating: 8/10

Horizon

Blake pursues a Federation ship to the mysterious planet Horizon. Blake and Jenna teleport down and are are captured by a native. The eventually become prisoners and forced into labour alongside the rest of the unfortunate populace in underground mines. They eventually learn that Horizon's ruler, Ro, is being used as a puppet by the Federation for their own means. 

A lame and largely forgettable episode by scriptwriter Allan Prior, the co-creator of the yachting drama Howard's Way. Avon left alone aboard the Liberator, debating whether he should abandon his crew mates still on Horizon, is probably the only positive aspect about this episode. Otherwise, there's lots of instances where Federation officials say "Kommissar!" and "Assistant Kommissar!" while Blake teaches the slaves how to share the cauldron of gruel they're given to eat. Definitely struggled to stay awake through this commie gobbledegook. Rating: 5/10

Pressure Point

Frustrated with all the foreplay, Blake decides to stick it where it hurts for the Federation; taking the battle to Earth. His plan is to destroy Central Control, the computer network and nerve centre of the Terran Federation, effectively toppling the authoritarian regime's iron grip over the galaxy. Thus, Blake teams up with resistance leader Kasabi, the former tutor of Servalan who harbours obvious beef with the ruthless Supreme Commander.

Terry Nation returns with one of the best episodes in the series thus far. Obviously, the mission fails; resulting in the death of the underdeveloped Olag Gan, a member of Blake's outlaw gang. Farewell, Gan! We hardly knew you. Nevertheless, Pressure Point is an action packed episode with an intriguing dose of betrayal. It's a lot of fun seeing Blake, Avon, Vila and the soon to snuff it Gan fighting their way to Central Control. This includes a genuinely tense scene where the lads traverse through a minefield. Also, despite my dislike for Croucher's portrayal of Travis, I did enjoy the scenes between him and Servalan during this episode. Rating: 10/10

Trial

In the aftermath of Gan's death, Blake decides to do some soul searching on an uninhabited planet while his crew ponder over whether to still follow him or not. Meanwhile, Travis does some of his own reflection as he awaits court-martial.

An introspective episode after the action-packed events of the previous one, but a good one, regardless. It's intriguing to discover that the unnamed planet (which looks like it might have been filmed in the Blue Peter garden) is in fact a living creature. It's also engrossing to find out that Blake and Zil, the ridiculous looking alien he befriends, have very limited time left before the living planet floods the surface with oceans of its own saliva to cleanse itself of all the parasites living on it. Overall, I found this part of the episode more interesting than Travis's trial. However, much like Pressure Point, I did find Brian Croucher's performance tolerable here. Kind of funny seeing John Savident, better known for playing Fred Elliott on Coronation Street along with Kevin Lloyd, who was D.C. Tosh Lines on The Bill, playing characters from the Terran Federation. Rating: 7/10

Killer

Avon and Vila teleport down to the Federation planet of Fosforon to get their hands on a translator crystal which would vitally aid them in decoding enemy transmissions. Tynus, the commander of the Q-Base installation, is an old "friend" of Avon; one who owes the renegade engineer a big favour. Blake also teleports down to the installation after a derelict, centuries-old spaceship drifts over the planet. Cally telepathically senses immense danger inside the ship.

Two great plot lines running concurrently by the legendary Doctor Who writer Robert Holmes. What starts off as a heist story eventually turns into a horrific contagion story; with a whiff of zombie goodness. Avon and Vila are a perfect double act, and it's great seeing them working together in this fantastic episode. Tynus, is played by Ronald Lacey, a natural at playing odious and slimy characters; best known for his characters Harris on the classic sitcom Porridge as well as Gestapo officer Arnold Ernst Toht in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Hence, you're waiting for the all important betrayal while the killer plague ravages the installation. Killer episode. Rating: 10/10

Hostage

After a run-in with Federation pursuit ships, the Liberator receives a message from Travis, who has now gone rogue. The dastardly villain has Blake's ex, Inga, hostage on the planet Exbar. Blake's uncle, Ushton, lives on the planet, who might be able to help.

WTF? Blake and Inga are literally kissing cousins! That's about the only memorable detail from what's otherwise a completely forgettable episode; that, and the fact Jenna gets a little jealous when she sees them kiss. I was mostly bored by this episode, and not even Avon and Vila could rescue it once they entered the mix. Therefore, I kept myself occupied googling what else Judy Buxton, the actress who played Inga, had done as she looked familiar. Turns out she was in I Don't Want to Be Born (1975), starring Joan Collins and a bunch of other cult legends no doubt ashamed of that god awful movie. She later married the actor who played Spike from the sitcom Hi-de-Hi. Rating: 5/10

Countdown

The Liberator reaches the planet Albion, searching for a Federation major once linked to Control Centre and might know of its new location. However, Albion's rebels are close to victory, thus the Federation activate a Solium radiation device which will wipe out all life on the planet. It's a race against time for Blake to find Major Provine, while Avon and Grant, a rebel who blames him for his sister's death, are on a tense-filled mission to deactivate the lethal weapon with the little time they have.

Once again, another stellar episode penned by Terry Nation. A riveting watch, with both plot lines lending to some thoroughly tense and suspenseful scenes. Incredibly entertaining watching all the convoluted hoops Avon and Grant have to go through in order to deactivate the bomb; even having to teleport to the polar ice cap and thaw it out. Loved it. Possibly the best of the second season, in my opinion. Rating: 10/10

Voice from the Past

During one of Cally's Rainbow Rhythms exercise sessions, Blake experiences severe mental pain brought about from the conditioning done to him by the Federation. It's revealed to be a subliminal signal, ordering him to divert from his ship's current course to the asteroid P-K118 instead. He convinces Vila it's a conspiracy engineered by the rest of the crew, where they subsequently lock them up. When Blake arrives on the asteroid's base, he meets rebel leader Shivan and Ven Glyn, a key figure who falsified evidence against him, who has defected over.

A convoluted episode from Roger Parkes, a writer who also contributed to a number of screenplays for another of Terry Nation's TV creations; the series Survivors. Sadly, what might have potentially been an episode full of of intrigue fundamentally yo-yos from tediously dull conversations to shambolically comedic once you see and hear Shivan on screen. I'm surprised the cast and crew were able to keep a straight face. Shivan's real identity is of no real surprise; it's so bloody obvious. Rating: 4/10

Gambit

After the events of Countdown, Blake learns that Control Centre has been renamed Star One and the former Terran Federation cybersurgeon, Docholli, might be able to know of its location. The crew of the Liberator find the cybersurgeon in the seedy quarter of the metropolis known as Freedom City, along with Travis working as the cybersurgeon's bodyguard. Blake, Jenna and Cally go in search of their their quarry. Meanwhile, unwillingly to be left behind, Avon and Vila take a shrunken Orac with them and hit the casinos. Unbeknown to them all, Servalan is also in Freedom City and on the hunt for Docholli and Travis.

Hard to believe Travis was such a villainous threat at one time, and yet he's reduced to skulking about in a hat and cape looking like the Phantom of the Opera. Servalan shines in this episode like a dominatrix from Hell. Once again, Avon and Vila's side story is the most fun. Vila playing speed chess against the Klute, "a galactic grandmaster", where the loser gets fried, was my favourite scene. This was another episode by Robert Holmes. Rating: 7/10

The Keeper

After finding Docholli, Blake learns that the co-ordinates to Star One are imprinted onto a brain amulet, worn around the neck of the planet Goth's ruler. Goth is a primitive world, whose natives live similarly to Viking culture. On their heals is Travis, who also happens to be after the amulet.

Another filler episode from Allan Prior, although Jenna has more to do in this episode; albeit feigning interest in the amorous advances of Goth's ruler, Gola. The McGuffins necessary to get to Star One have really outstayed their welcome by the penultimate episode. I also found the whole story rather predictable and lacklustre; the obvious plot twist being a particular crude set-up. Rating: 5/10

Star One

Lurena, a young technician on Star One, discovers that her fellow colleagues have been replicated by alien saboteurs. Climactic weather effects have already been felt across Federation worlds because of the sabotage on Star One.The Liberator finally reaches the base, where Blake and crew discover a vast minefield in the vacuum of space designed to keep something out. When the crew learn of an Andromedan invasion, Blake abandons destroying Star One and bides time for the now alerted Federation to stop the invaders. Thus, the Liberator is all that stands to fend off the armada until his sworn enemies come to aid in the battle.

Star One is an absolute belter and by far the best episode in the series by Chris Boucher. I like the obvious inspiration taken from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, along with the Andromedan fleet being forced to funnel through a small gap in the minefield with the Liberator holding them off. Essentially the Battle of Thermopylae, but in space. Which makes for a great cliff hanger. Apparently, Terry Nation intended for the invaders to be the Daleks. Of course, it never happened, but it adds fuel to the fire that Doctor Who and Blake's 7 were set in the same universe. Also, Travis didn't pull off anything immersion breaking to spoil the whole episode. Rating: 9/10

TL; DR:

Overall, the decision to include other writers was both a gift and a curse. It obviously worked for Terry Nation, since the episodes he wrote for the second season were amongst the best in the series. Even on my least favourite episodes, the character writing was mostly faithful (with the exception of Travis). The dichotomy between Blake the idealist and Avon the realist makes for some enjoyable chemistry between the two, which really flourished in this second season.

Regarding Travis, he was the biggest disappointment. That's partly due to Stephen Greif not returning to play the character for the second season. There was a twisted and psychotic menace about Travis in the previous season, and that's sadly lost in Brian Croucher's performance. Also, Greif looked far cooler with the cardboard egg box on his face as a cybernetic implant, than the tiny eyepatch Croucher has on. Croucher's Cockney inflection didn't help the character, either.

Also, I'm not surprised Sally Knyvette exited the series given how little she had to do. However, I am bewildered Jan Chappell stayed on for another season given how much of a dead weight Cally was. Gareth Thomas, who played Roj Blake would no longer be a regular after this second season. Blake's 7 without Blake! Paul Darrow's Kerr Avon would naturally take over as the show's lead, which was always apparent from the very first season.

Looking forward to the third season box set getting released next year! Fingers crossed there's a BBC still around to release it by then.

Sax and Violence

Abel Ferrara's revenge thriller Ms .45 (1981), a film that I've been wishing for a re-release since the old Drafthouse Blu-Ray had been long out of print and selling for silly money online, is available again thanks to Arrow Films' gorgeous 4K UHD release. Which made it an instant watch as soon it came through my letter box. Revisiting it again, it did not disappoint; even improved somewhat.

 

Worth mentioning musician and composter Joe Delia's complimentary score played an integral part reflecting the emotional and mental state of Ms .45's mute protagonist Thana (Zoë Tamerlis). The sounds of a saxophone would play prominently during scenes where she was alarmed and distressed.

 

Coincidentally, the Halloween party band we see playing just before a nun-costumed Thana goes on a violent, man-hating killing spree, can be heard playing the film's memorable theme Ms .45 Dance Party. Ironically, it's a trumpet being blown, yet it's the obvious sound of a saxophone being heard.

 

Joe Delia | Ms .45 Dance Party

Ms .45 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | 1981/2014 

Martin McAvinney · Joe Delia - Ms.45 Dance Party

Intentional goof or not, it's a hilarious scene from what's otherwise a powerful, rape revenge film. On par with the time Dexys Midnight Runners performed Jackie Wilson Said on Top of the Pops where a big, black and white photo of Scottish darts player Jocky Wilson was shown grimacing in the background.

 

Also worth mentioning the iconic saxophone from Ms .45 would end up being sampled on my favourite Roc Marciano song. 

Going Underground

Creep (Christopher Smith, 2004)

File Christopher Smith's directorial debut Creep (2004) as another overlooked Y2K era horror film constantly overlooked by wet-behind-the-ears film buffs on YouTube. Smith's subterranean themed chiller, located beneath the streets of London, was another important entry in the New Wave of British Horror as it was another quality entry in the movement; maintaining the momentum kickstarted by Neil Marshall's Dog Soldiers (2002) and Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later (2002).

Horror films set in underground caves and tunnels are of particular interest for your host, as they represent the primal fear of the dark and unknown. An abundance of phobias, like bathophobia (fear of depths), cleithrophobia (fear of being trapped), taphobia (fear of being buried alive) and the more familiar claustrophobia are inextricably linked to the dark below. Hence, horror set underground has resulted in some delightfully atmospheric films, like C.H.U.D. (1984), The Descent (2005) and As Above, So Below (2014). It also might explain why this humble film blogger is one of the few people who likes the unfortunately titled The Midnight Meat Train (2008) given the piss poor CGI gore effects and Vinnie Jones being in it.

George Clooney, the smarmy-faced global ambassador of those dreadful Nespresso adverts, is in London. Determined party girl Kate (Franka Potente) confidently assumes she's in with a chance in hooking up with the Hollywood A-lister if she gets to him in time. This means, she's willing to ditch the office party she's at, where her only entertainment is ridiculing Guy's (Jerry Sheffield, AKA the boyfriend in Natalie Imbruglia's Torn music video) obnoxious come-ons. Kate is wasted from the booze and drugs she's already partaken in and falls asleep at a train platform. When she wakes up, she finds herself all alone and locked inside a London Underground station. Thus, the premise is set and introduces the viewer to the subterranean world of its titular antagonist.

Creep is essentially a gore tainted, morality tale for our heroine. Kate's an arrogant and unlikeable individual, initially. However, given the film's grand order of horrid individuals — which includes the stuck-up bint queuing at a ticket machine, a jobsworth security guard (who really should have spotted Kate asleep at the train platform; the film's most egregious plot hole, for many) and the aforementioned Guy attempting to rape our heroine — Kate is the least insufferable of the lot. This doesn't absolve her condescending treatment toward the junkie homeless couple, Jimmy (Paul Rattray) and Mandy (Kelly Scott), who are squatting in the station's store room. Their chances of survival would have been far greater if the party girl never chanced upon them. 

In an archived interview with the BBC, Christopher Smith intended for Kate to be written this way:

"The idea of the story is, here's someone that you see every day whom you might not like but you might recognise in yourself - in the way that you step over homeless people and don't give them the time of day. I wanted to ask, how do we take a character that's this full of herself and this full of self-importance, and shake her down to a level where she can be mistaken for a homeless person? For me, the first likeable person in the movie is Paul Rattray's character [Jimmy], the homeless guy. And by the time you get to him, you're like, 'At last! A character we can actually like!'"

In retrospect, that's a refreshing aspect which distances it from the virtuous white tank top and high waisted jeans final girls of the 2000s. Additionally, Kate's canary yellow dress is a notable feature in the film, as it gets increasingly grubby and dirty throughout the progress of the film; ultimately leading to her being mistaken for a vagrant by a faceless suit and tie man at the end of the film. Reinforcing Kate's moral lesson.

That very same BBC interview, also clears up the notion I had about the film being a quasi-remake of Garry Sherman's subterranean horror Death Line (AKA Raw Meat, 1972), which also features an underground denizen who eats people. Smith hadn't seen the film at the time, and goes on to reveal that Creep was inspired by the London Underground scene from John Landis's masterpiece (and quite frankly, the greatest film ever made) An American Werewolf in London (1981). Always a delight whenever a director appreciates a proper film and not some pretentious one they were taught at film school. 

While Potente does a commendable job in turning her unlikeable character into a sympathetic one, it's method actor Sean Harris's performance as the titular villain, hilariously named Craig, who happens to be the biggest highlight of the film. Severely deformed, our antagonist looks like a cross between Gollum and a chav roofer in baggy shorts and Dr. Martens boots. Along with the heavy prosthetics, he physically exudes the part as the creepy denizen. In one particular scene, he descends down from an overhead vent, casually swinging with one arm before landing to the ground; like a hideous gymnast. Craig also emits a piercing shriek when he enters an area, which is both chilling and fascinating. Another great detail is how the he seems to alert his presence with a mischief or rats, like a mutated Pied Piper. This all leads to the vital question on the origin of the character.

Much like Marshall's The Descent, Creep also manages to contain plenty of visual stimuli, despite being set underground. Locations are surprisingly various: from the brightly lit Charing Cross Station; rat infested sewage tunnels; unknown storerooms; a long forgotten hospital basement; and an abandoned underground station that serves as the Creep's lair — overall, striking locations for this film. The constant surge of urgency for our protagonist, and a sewage worker ironically named George (Vas Blackwood) who is rescued by Kate, contribute to both a highly atmospheric and kinetic film, and why it's one of the more effective slashers from this era; especially given it's relative low budget.

In summary, Creep is an impressive debut from the writer and director who would helm Severance (2006), one of the few Danny Dyer movies worth watching; the psychological, mind bender classic Triangle (2009); and the folk horror gem Black Death (2010), the end of Christopher Smith's winning streak. Thus, it's a shame not many people know about his debut, other than brainlets prefering Patrick Brice's 2014 found footage film with the same name over it whenever it's discussed; which ought to be made a criminal offence, in my opinion.

Praying for a domestic physical release of Creep, as the recent Aussie Blu-Ray will easily break the bank to buy and ship it.

Viewings: October 2025

Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia's The Platform was such an enthralling, sci-fi thriller that it made me check out his two other films, post haste. Sadly, they're significant downgrades from his stellar debut; his latest effort amongst the worst watches of 2025. Still, that doesn't tarnish my appreciation for The Platform (technically, the sequel does a tiny bit) for its hellish concept and biting social commentary; earning it the coveted Dada Debaser Film of the Month™. Highly recommended,

 

Film:

 Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren, Alexander Hammid, 1943)*^

Obscene Desire (Giulio Petroni, 1978)*

Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983)

Graveyard Disturbance (Lamberto Bava, 1987)

Until Death (Lamberto Bava, 1987)

Chainsaw Scumfuck (Alex Chandon, 1988)^

Creep (Christopher Smith, 2004)

Hush (Mark Tonderai, 2008)*

The House of the Devil (Ti West, 2009)

Byzantium (Neil Jordan, 2012)*

Coherence (James Ward Byrkit, 2013)* 

Circle (Aaron Hann, Mario Miscione, 2015)*

The Platform (Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, 2019)*

Deadstream (Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter, 2022)

The Platform 2 (Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, 2024)*

The Long Walk (Francis Lawrence, 2025)* 

Rich Flu (Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, 2024 / 2025)* 

Night of the Reaper (Brandon Christensen, 2025)*

Other (David Moreau, 2025)* 

V/H/S/Halloween (Various, 2025)*

 

Television:

 Whicker's World - A Handful of Horrors: I Don't Like My Monsters to Have Oedipus Complexes (Charles Denton, 1968)*

Prisoner Cell Block H - Episodes 1 & 2 Series 1 (Various, 1979)*

Mastermind - Episodes 12-15 (Bill Wright, 2025 / 2026)* 

 

*First time viewings.

^Short film. 

 

Dada Debaser Notes:

• You know horror directors have gone full meta when The House of the Devil, a fantastic throwback to '80s horror, is also being referenced in Night of the Reaper, a not so great throwback to '80s horror.
• Hard to believe David Moreau, the director behind one of the best films of last year, could deliver such a terrible effort this year with Other. Not even Olga Kurylenko in her undies could save this indulgent snoozefest.
• A random Letterboxd'er described The Long Walk as Stand By Me meets Punishment Park, which is accurate, but nowhere near as good as those films. Imagine if George A. Romero got to direct it in the '80s like he originally planned to, instead of the bloke who did The Hunger Games films!
• So glad Deadstream finally got a Blu-Ray release, as it's one of the best horror comedies in years. Also pleased the Winters' excellent short film To Hell and Back from V/H/S/99 (2022) is included as a bonus extra.

Other stuff I enjoyed: Don't know how anyone can find the time to write an in depth film review every day of the month, but Arena of the Unwell's 31 Days of Halloween reviews were hilariously entertaining reads. I also enjoyed a video on Eagle's Doomlord in my YouTube home page. A rare algorithm win.

Slow West

The House of the Devil (Ti West, 2009)

Nostalgia is usually a wistful affection for the past. In the case of the film industry, it's a lucrative hustle. A safe bet averting the risk of an original offering failing. Hence, successes from yesteryear are turned into sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots, interquels and whatever new spin can be hustled up in order to milk that cow. Thankfully, writer and director Ti West has always had a better grasp of what nostalgia entails than the vast majority of hacks lazily associating '80s aesthetics with grainy video filters, neon lighting and a synthwave soundtrack. In more recent years, his X trilogy (2022 - 2024) would mark his return to retro-style horror. However, the best example of West's masterful execution in this style is unquestionably his seminal retro horror The House of the Devil (2009); a remarkable shot on 16mm love letter to independent horror films of the '70s and early '80s.

Produced with a modest budget of just under $1M, The House of the Devil is a baby sitter in peril chiller set during the era of the Satanic Panic hysteria on the night of a lunar eclipse. The film's protagonist, Samantha "Sam" Hughes (Jocelin Donahue), is a college student who, desperate to earn cash and be an independent spirit, avoids a series of obvious red flags after seeing an advertisement for a baby sitter. The money on offer is too good to pass up, or so it seems. Thus, West's slow burn horror adds layer upon layer of elements that Sam can no longer avoid.

Of course, a young baby-sitter having to fend for her life in a horror film is hardly unique, but The House of the Devil does have the advantage of featuring one of the most realistic protagonists in this style of film. What makes Sam so special is the very fact she is both a down to earth and sympathetic character. Traits that have becomes increasingly rare in horror films since the 2010s. If anything, our protagonist is in the very same mould as Laurie Strode from John Carpenter's Halloween (1978). The girl-next-door.

Sam wouldn't be so well realised on film if it wasn't for Jocelin Donahue's great acting. The feathered hair, flannel shirt and high waisted jeans might be throwbacks to vanilla, do-gooder final girls from yesteryear, but Donahue manages to portray her character with incredible depth in her nuanced performance; making her a compelling character on screen. Donahue is an integral element to the film feeling equally authentic to the vintage vibe of the film. Therefore, it's such a disappointment not seeing her perform in anything equally as substantial ever since the release of the film.

As for the supporting cast, this includes recognisable veterans from notable genre films of the past. Dee Wallace has a minor role at the start of the film as a sympathetic landlady. Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov have larger roles as the unabashedly creepy Ulmans; the couple eager to hire Sam to babysit "Mother" so they can go off to celebrate the all important lunar eclipse mentioned throughout the film. Additionally, A.J. Bowen's callous spontaneity is alarming playing their son Victor. The bearded actor, shares a shocking scene with Sam's bubbly best friend Megan (Greta Gerwig), who might have been modelled on Lynda Van Der Klok, that can't be forgotten anytime soon.

Like many films of the '80s, The House of the Devil features a short music montage. Apart from the novelty factor of seeing Sam with her walkman dance around the spooky Ulman house to The Fixx's One Thing Leads to Another, it acts as an important segue from the slow build up of terror of the first half to the all out panic-mode in the second half of the film. The song abruptly ends once Sam accidentally knocks over a vase and a revelation to the immediate danger she is in.

Considering The House of the Devil has layers of nuance and an intentional slow pace, particularly in the first half, it's a title often criticised for being too slow by the Ritalin generation. Therefore, it's essentially a Marmite movie; you either love it, or hate it. Your host is one of those who absolutely adore it.

The ‘00s was a decade dominated by remakes. Remakes of classics from yesteryear and English language versions of foreign films for an audience too lazy and ignorant to read subtitles. Torture porn would boom in popularity and outshine the previous decades' worth of comparatively tame splatter movies. Yet, throughout this cinematic meat grind, The House of the Devil went back to the essence; when fear and suspense were just as integral to a bloody payoff.  By going against the grain, Ti West managed to succeed where so many other film makers have failed and truly recaptured on film a bygone era.

Classic. 

Scenes from a Marriage

It's been another incredible year thus far for Blu-ray and 4K UHD releases. For your humble host, notable releases include Grindhouse Releasing's completely stacked Lucio Fulci masterpiece The Beyond (1981), Arrow films' highly desired Sergio Leone Dollars Trilogy (1966 - 1968), and Hammer entering the boutique foray with Brian Clemens's Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974) (given the relaunched company's Doctor Jekyll (2023) flopped hard in cinemas, I don't really blame them). But the icing on the proverbial cake, for many, might very well be Second Sight's forthcoming release of Andrzej Żuławski's art-house horror Possession (1981) being released this December. The UK home distribution company initially announced the film's release over two years ago. Therefore, it's become a hotly anticipated title amongst cinephiles, collectors and greedy scalpers eager to flip it.

Truth be told, Possession is a film too surreal and ambiguous to completely define by even the brainiest film analysts. However, a short and general description would suggest it being about the psychological turmoil of a marriage falling apart; becoming horror manifest with some disturbing scenes. Thematically similar to David Cronenberg's The Brood (1979); which itself, served as an allegory to the bitter breakup the Canadian auteur had recently undergone. Żuławski had the benefit of shooting in the fractured city of Cold War era Berlin, adding to the film's central theme and creating a cold and captivating back drop in the process. The Polish director also managed to amass two career defining performances out of his two leads, Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani. The experience left them both emotionally wrecked, and in the case of Adjani, she was left feeling suicidal.

Possession is often listed as one of the greatest films of all time amongst film critics, cinephiles and turd wave feminists. Call me a philistine, but despite its quality, it wouldn't get a spot in my ten favourite horror films released that very same year:

An American Werewolf in London (John Landis)

The Beyond (Lucio Fulci)

The Burning (Tony Maylam)  

Dark Night of the Scarecrow (Frank De Felitta)

Dead and Buried (Gary Sherman)

The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi)

Friday 13th Part 2 (Steve Miner) 

The Howling (Joe Dante)

The Prowler (Joseph Zito)

Scanners (David Cronenberg)

Fidel Gastro

The Platform (Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, 2019)

Occasionally, a film which has been on my radar winds up disappearing like Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Netflix's The Platform (2019), or, if we want to call it by its original Spanish title, El hoyo is one such film. Helmed by a first time director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, The Plaform piqued my interest largely due to it being a dystopian sci-fi thriller where residents of the Vertical Self-Management Centre, a vast prison tower nicknamed The Pit, serve a given period in order to achieve their freedom and improved status in the outside world. The inmates are allowed one object while confined in The Pit, which can be anything from a weapon to a violin. Each day, these individuals are fed via a magically descending concrete platform laden with food. The catch being, it's the only meal of the day and those on the highest levels can gorge on as much food as they want once the descending platform spends a short limited time on their level. Thus, the higher-ups can feast like kings, while the lesser fortunate, further down, might face the very real possibility of starving to death. Hence, The Platform is an exploration of classicism, greed and the true test of human solidarity. A further twist to this situation is the inmates being reassigned to a random level at the start of each month. 

Frank Zappa lookalike Goreng (Iván Massagué) is the latest inmate. Armed with a copy of Cervantes's novel Don Quixote, it's not long before he's forced to learn the basic rule of survival inside the megastructure: Eat to survive! Goreng's cellmate, Trimigasi (Zorion Eguileor), a short and stocky elderly man with a misanthropic outlook on life, is wondering how long his new cellmate will last.Trimigasi is also pleased that he's on Level 48 in the complex; a relatively high level where food is more likely to be available from the upper level. More chance of leftovers. The disparity between the two individuals could never be more different; including the reasons for their admittance in The Pit. Goreng volunteered to be in their for an accredited diploma, while it was either a one year stint in the hell hole or forever in a psychiatric hospital for throwing a TV out of his window and accidentally murdering someone.

Goreng comes with the solution that it would be fairer to ration the food. An amused Trimigasi asks him, if he's a communist. Goreng attempts to persuade the higher ups, unsurprisingly, he's ridiculed. Similarly, his plea is also rejected by those below him. It's not helped when the odious Trimigasi urinates on the lower level after they complain about no wine being left, either. The elderly cellmate's logic being they would have done the same, if the tables were turned.

Trimigasi: The people below us are below us.

Goreng: Next month they might be above us. 

Trimigasi: Yes, and they'll piss on us. The bastards.

Goreng also has his first encounter with the beautiful Miharu (Alexandra Masangkay), a mute and battle-scarred woman, who rides the platform in the desperate hope of finding her child in the lower depths of the pit. Goreng is shocked by the notion of a child even being in the concrete hellhole. And yet, as Goreng's first month rolls by, he adapts to his environment; becoming more comfortable with eating from the platform and forming a close bond with Trimigasi. The scenes where he reads to his elderly cellmate and they exercise together for their mental and physical healths, are genuinely endearing.

Our cellmates' relationship takes a dramatic turn once the sleeping gas wears off and Goreng wakes up tied and gagged to his bed by Trimigasi. It's the start of a new month, and the pair are now way down the hole on Level 171. Starvation is very real. Trimigasi has been in this position before and survived it by resorting to cannibalism. The elderly man proposes a dark and twisted offer to his cellmate: he'll carve strips of Goreng's flesh to feed the both of them. In the midsts of his leg being cut up by the old cannibal, he's saved by Miharu and Trimigasi is subsequently killed by Goreng. Thus, the wannabe revolutionary himself turns to cannibalism in order to the rest of the month in the Pit. Having eaten human flesh, the act has made Goreng see visions of Trimigasi; haunting him from beyond the grave.

Another month, another twist of fate. Goreng is now on Level 33, a far more survivable part of the Pit. He's greeted by Ramses II, a sausage dog owned by a woman named Imoguiri (Antonia San Juan), the very same admittance officer who interviewed him for his application for the Vertical Self-Management Centre. Having lost her fight with cancer, the new inmate has decided to spend her final weeks learning of what her work has led to. She quickly learns how naïve she has been and makes similar pleas for solidarity and rationing to the other levels, echoing Goreng's first month. But it hits much harder for Imoguiri being a former employee for this diabolical construction. She has blood on her hands. How many have died here? Could her employers really have put a child in this ungodly construct? When the month passes, Goreng discovers he's on Level 202. Imoguiri has taken her own life. Once again, Goreng must eat human flesh. Another vision forever accompanying our protagonist. Imoguiri and Trimigasi now serving as our protagonist's good versus bad conscience.

Ascending to a more privileged Level 6 the following month, Goreng has a plan. Estimating there must be around 250 levels, our protagonist persuades his latest cellmate, Baharat (Emilio Buale), a religious man who literally gets shitted on by the higher-ups during an escape attempt, to descend to the lower levels with him in order to feed the prisoners below. They will demand the inmates on the first fifty levels to go without food for the day and use physical force if necessary to enforce it. During their decent, they encounter a scholar who suggests a message must also be sent to the hand that feeds them on Level 0; an untouched dish. The panna cotta is the message. 

The slow descent to the lower levels is easily the piece de resistance of The Platform. Gaztelu-Urrutia takes obvious inspiration from Dante's Inferno. The two cellmates traversing down on the magical concrete slab makes for compelling viewing. You're never sure what they expect. On one level you see charred remains of two people, on another two cellmates in a rubber pool, who turn out to be the film's story writers. A further twist is the platform going even further down than Goreng's estimation. It turns out out to be 333 levels. Two cellmates on each level. It couldn't be more clear what the Pit represents.

Gaztelu-Urrutia's commentary on capitalism and classism is about as subtle as being punched in the face by Frank Castle. Hardly, the first film with these criticisms, let alone the only that year. Bong Joon Ho's critically acclaimed Parasite (2019) was also released at the time. However, the South Korean black comedy, is a far more stylish and nuanced offering, whereas The Platform is ugly and austere. Incidentally, The Platform has more in common with Bong Joon Ho's dystopian sci-fi thriller Snowpiercer (2013), but the advantage of Tilda Swinton and Chris Evans not being in it. Another obvious influence is Vincenzo Natali's proto-Saw film Cube (1997) in its concept. Each of  The Platform's characters seem to represent archetypes in the dog eat dog world of the capitalist hierarchy: Trimigasi completely capable of committing evil to get to the top, while Imoguiri being blissfully unaware of her part in the brutal system she's contributed to until it's too late. Lastly, Goreng representing the socialist revolutionary striving for solidarity resorting to violence to enforce it after all pleasantries fail. The viewer never gets to see who runs the show, only a grim looking maître d' and cooks meticulously preparing the banquet of incredible food which is never enough to feed everyone.

The only real gripe is the ambiguous ending that I won't spoil. Considering how openly blunt the film's messaging has been, why opt for a cop out ending that's so intentionally vague? A notable sore point observed from other reviewers. Regardless, this wasn't enough to ruin my overall impression of the film. The many positives outweighed those final moments.

The Platform is a horrifying film; brutal, nihilistic and hard to recommend to any dog lovers. However, it's the film's sci-fi concept which is the most extreme aspect. The brutalist construct boxing everyone into various levels as an allegory to the class system. I absolutely loved this film so much, I immediately hunted checked out Gaztelu-Urrutia's two other subsequent efforts. Alas, both The Platform 2 (2024) and Rich Flu (2024 /25) are significant downgrades and even more infested with shameless Marxist propaganda than your kid's university. The latter film being utterly soporific despite a ridiculous premise of a virus which only targets the wealthy. In any case, at least comrade Gaztelu-Urrutia has one truly great film under his belt, making it a crying shame it's rotting on Netflix and not available on any English friendly physical format release.