Sunday 30 March 2014

Flavours of the Month: March 2014...

LOOKS:

The League of Gentlemen (DVD commentaries)

Gravity (Blu-Ray)
- it's definitely not a horror film, but it's the scariest movie I've seen in years. An astonishing technical and directorial achievement that features a gripping central performance by Bullock.

8MM - apparently screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en) disowned the movie after it was watered down and had the tone somewhat lightened, but even still, it's a pretty grim thriller that's simultaneously quite compelling. Part of that post-Se7en vibe in 90s filmmaking where everything got very dark and brooding (also see End of Days).

True Detective - familiar elements given a unique spin. A superb piece of dramatic work with two exceptional lead performances at the heart of it. Lyrical, poetic, and exceedingly dark. An iconic piece of television drama. Let's hope they can recapture that same spirit with a brand new cast and storyline for season two.

Click "READ MORE" below for more looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...

The Walking Dead Season 4B - of course! Season 4, under Scott M. Gimple's leadership has been, quite possibly, the best season yet. It's certainly been the most consistently entertaining, with only a couple of very minor slips along the way. Roll on season 5!

Lost Seasons 4 & 5 - the re-run of Lost continues. The shorter seasons and tighter narrative focus improved the pace of the show at the same time as broadening it with an ever-expanding story. Season 4 features my favourite episode of them all: "The Constant", and Season 5 - despite a few soft spots - is delightfully bonkers in it's mind-warping, time travel plot. The show took on more of a sci-fi (and, ultimately, spiritual) vibe with the final three seasons, which wasn't to everyone's liking, but I really dug the direction the show took.


SOUNDS:

Alice Cooper "Killer", "Billion Dollar Babies", "Welcome To My Nightmare", "From The Inside", "The Definitive AC"

The Smashing Pumpkins "Rotten Apples (Greatest Hits)"

Metallica "Load", "The Black Album"

Steven Price "Gravity" OST

David Lynch "The Big Dream (Moby Reversion ft. Mindy Jones)"

Daft Punk "Tron Legacy" OST

Nine Inch Nails "The Downward Spiral"

Petri Alanko "Alan Wake" OST


VIBES & FLAVOURS:

"Sleb" novelisation - the word count is around about 33,000 thus far. I'm on track, on schedule, and am continuing to hit my targets - what's more, I'm very much enjoying the act of writing this book, which I have strong hopes for. It makes me cackle with laughter and draws me into it's deeper pockets of emotion, and I'm the one writing it, and I'm the one who's the most familiar with the story. So that, surely, must be a good sign. More news on it as-and-when.

Mark Kermode "Hatchet Job"

The Walking Dead Volume 20 "All Out War: Part One"

No comments: