Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Hopefully, we’ll be getting in more reports as this one unfolds, but here’s “LoneWolf” to kick it off for us:
Harry,
Long time reader and all that...
Fifteen minutes walk from my house is the center of the Brussels Fantasy Film Festival which started this evening...
The last couple of years I have been to see the odd film here and there, but this year I am going to do it properly... so, the art and decorations are lovely and grotesque as usual, I saunter into the main cinema having had a few 'quick' drinks beforehand with friends, none of whom can understand my desire to see so many films over the next two weeks, especially not ones involving quite so much blood... Anyway, it's the first night and so there are free drinks and nibbles. I have yet another glass of red wine and get in a quick smoke before the movie. And there, near the bar, watching the vomiting dancers (no, really, it's not that bad, more of a sound effect thing. Trust me on this...) is the director of the opening film, Mr Danny Boyle. This is a first for me but I wander over to ask for an autograph. He seems friendly. So what do I say? Do I ask him about Porno? Do I hell, all I manage to do is thank him for his movies (not including The Beach of course) and then apologise for having bothered him. Sigh. I hope I am not that pathetic when Brian Yuzna arrives in town next weekend.
Anyway, then we all troop into the theatre to see 28 days later. I had been hoping Mr Boyle would make a speech or something but it seems that he has to fly out of town as he is in the middle of shooting 'Millions'. We do get a nice filmed intro from him though where he assures the audience that this is not the sequel to a certain Sandra Bullock movie.... And boy is he not kidding....
This film has been reviewed several times on the net recently, but all I can say is that it's worth the wait for all you Americans out there. I resist the urge to shout 'tech support' during the intro (you'll see what I mean...) and then the film switches to Jim waking up... The scenes in the vast, empty London are awesome. Very eerie. And what is that I hear coming out of the speakers? Yes, it's Godspeed you Black Emperor! the only band who could ever be asked to write the soundtrack for the end of civilisation. And I'm hooked. Little touches of humour ('the end is extremely fucking nigh' written on a church wall). The first sign of bodies in a church. The violence, when it happens is breathtaking. Quick cuts, lots of blood and confusion, blurred images. It hurts and my does it work. The cinematography is fabulous. Hand-held digital most of the time but shots through broken glass, mirror images, very inventive. Moving moment of finding Jim's family. Beautiful shot of buckets on the roof. Brenden Gleeson is a god. Manchester burning. Rats in the tunnel. Excellent suspense. The last act is weaker, but after that beginning, it would be difficult to top it... The coda. Hmmm. Not sure really. But all in all I would heartily recomend it. Back to basics film making and damn, it works.
Anyway, I may let you know about some of the other goodness happening over the next two weeks: darkness, the gathering, the eye, phone and next Friday, horror geek heaven: Bubba ho tep, Beyond re-animator and House of 1000 corpses all in one evening....
I can't wait.
Call me Lonewolf if you like.
I love the opening to 28 DAYS LATER. It might be my favorite first five or ten minutes of a film in recent memory. I still haven’t seen the whole thing, though, so reports like this one make me crazy. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!
"Moriarty" out.
