RespawningCouch: Episode 17: Verdict on Mass Effect 3, Total Recall Trailer and Next-Gen Consoles

This week: Jack and Nick talk about Mass Effect 3, again, and talk about the ending (Spoiler Alert). They then talk about the Total Recall Trailer, Max Payne 3 and the next-gen console rumours.

Personal Favourites: The Thing (1982)

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Personal Favourites: The Thing (1982)

The Thing (1982) 

Many whom have listened to my podcast, RespawningCouch, will already know that I have a massive crush on John Carpenter’s sci-fi/ horror classic The Thing. And would undoubtably add it to my ‘Top 10 Favourite Films’ list. Funnily I owe my interest in gaming the credit for my discovery of the film. While I had heard about it from various sources after watching Ridley Scott’s Alien at the age of 12, it wouldn’t be until the announcement of EA’s sci-fi/ horror game Dead Space that would spur my interest. Like my love for John Woo’s over-the-top action films (The Killer, A Better Tomorrow and Hardboiled) emerged from Midway’s Stranglehold, Dead Space’s necromorph infested corridors obviously took inspiration from the gory assimilations of Carpenter’s film.

So what do I love about The Thing. First and foremost, its story. A relatively simple affair, the plot follows a group of American researchers as they battle against an alien entity which has the ability to assimilate its victims. Based on John W. Campbell Jr.‘s novella Who Goes There?, Carpenter and screenwriter Bill Lancaster stick close to the source material. Trust and paranoia are the two major themes of the film’s narrative, and the writing and direction truly portray these. The whole concept of the actual ‘Thing’ is one that allows for a departure from the stalking psychopath, which was very much the horror genre during the late 70s and early 80s. Instead the plot creates a constant uncertainty over who is the ‘thing’, and cleverly the audience is continuously left in the dark, creating even more tension. The characters themselves are a good mixture of personalities that are sufficiently developed through the course of the runtime. On first glance, they aren’t the most original bunch of blokes, but somehow the performances and Carpenter’s direction equate to memorable individuals. From Kurt Russell’s bearded, sombrero wearing MacReady to the stern and dispassionate Clark, played by Richard Masur, The Thing’s cast is solid and really conveys the growing anxiety and delusion. 

Key to any horror film is atmosphere. Cinematography and sound-design are pinnacle to any director wanting to successfully create a genuinely scary and unsettling feature. Sure a well-portrayed character with a psychotic personality, who whispers gleefully into the camera, is threatening and unnerving. But it’s even more effective if he’s shrouded in shadows, and with background audio consisting of droning tones, or high-pitched and prolonged crescendos. The film’s location plays a major part in the creation of this foreboding atmosphere. Set on the snowy research camp in the Antarctic, it’s the perfect setting for an intimate and intense horror/thriller to take place. Secluded from the outside world, Carpenter keeps the scale small but focused. Consequently, The Thing lends itself to those intricate and utterly intense moments. From the long, travelling shots through the claustrophobic corridors and spaces of the base, to the intimate closeup nature of each confrontation, The Thing’s camerawork, while isn’t the most artistically constructed cinematography ever, frames the locations, characters and tension perfectly.

Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic Halloween showcased his ability to construct a brooding and threatening atmosphere in a genuine horror film. Meanwhile a year later Ridley Scott’s  Alien had become influential in the solidifying the ‘Sci-fi horror’ genre, with its sheer intensity and intelligent technical and narrative composition. The constricted atmosphere, the sudden changes in mood and unexpected bloody carnage are similar notes to that eventually seen in The Thing. However compared with Alien, scares are few to the point that I shy away from calling it a ‘horror’ film. Yet when those moments are used, they’re timed perfectly. Unlike the clichéd affairs of modern horror, Carpenter doesn’t flood the film with jump-scares and forgettable, stupid characters. Instead he goes more for the ‘thriller’ vibe, focusing the attention on the character’s relationships. He then uses the gory “revelations” to startle and shock the audience. The obvious “Blood Test” scene in particular, offers a dramatic change of events that transpires into a spectacular mess of devastation and mutilation. Speaking of which, Rob Bottin’s special effects are grotesque, yet stunning works of ‘art’. And to be honest, they’ll surpass any CGI ‘creature’ a modern artist could conjure up, as seen in the prequel. From the makeup to animatronics, there’s a brutal and ugly attribute to each creature, with the special effects on the ‘head spider’ really showing the commitment and complexity to Bottin’s work. The late and great Stan Winston offered his expertise for one of the monster designs, and it’s truly amazing. 

The overall sound composition of The Thing is fantastic. Bennings’ scream still leaves me with goosebumps every single time I watch that scene, while every squelch and snap during the ‘Thing’s’ exposure really contributes to the brutal and visceral nature of the film. In terms of the soundtrack, the great Ennio Morricone and the musical talents of John Carpenter deliver a perfect musical score that blends dreary, continuous, synthesised beats with the long strokes and shrills of stringed instruments. The iconic opening title track remains engraved in my head.

Overall The Thing, in my eyes, is a masterpiece of the sci-fi thriller/ horror genre. From its atmosphere and performances, to its gory and intense nature, John Carpenter blends everything together to form a film that is constantly engrossing and a joy to watch. 

Check out my review of 2011's prequel, The Thing 

And check out my other 'Personal Favourites' in the Features section. 

RespawningCouch Podcast: Episode 16: Mass Effect 3, 50/50, Snowtown and ScreenTest Festival

This week: Jack and Nick debate over Mass Effect 3, talk about Snowtown, Rampart, 50/50 and other films in an extended 'What You've Been Playing and Seeing'. Then discuss Total Recall, Twins II, and Jack shares his highlights from ScreenTest Festival.


Follow us: https://twitter.com/#!/RespawningCouch
Our Hunger Games Review: http://lights-camera-critic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/respawningcouch-audio-review-hunger.html

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RespawningCouch Audio Review: The Hunger Games

Jack and Nick review the recent box-office hit, The Hunger Games.

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Email: respawningcouch@gmail.com

Twitters

I've finally created an account for RespawningCouch Podcast: https://twitter.com/#!/RespawningCouch
And you can follow myself: https://twitter.com/#!/LightsCameraCri

Sorry about the shameless plug. But 'social networking'............yeah. And the 'Favourite films' feature will start in the next couple weeks. Apologies again.

Cheers

Jack Singleton

Chronicle Review

Chronicle 
(Originally written for Impact Magazine: 25/2/12)

Ahead of the forthcoming superhero blockbusters The Amazing Spiderman, The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers, Chronicle arrives as a different take on the genre. Josh Trank’s directorial film debut has become a surprise hit grossing $81,079,000 worldwide, primarily due to a strong critical reception and an “effective” viral marketing campaign. Taking inspiration from the recent revival of the found-footage genre, Chronicle takes the shaky camerawork and tries to capture the rise of a tormented super-villain within a rational scope. Does it succeed? The short answer… kind of.

The film follows 3 high school friends, Andrew (Dane DeHaan), Matt (Alex Russell) and Steve (Michael B. Jordan) who happen to discover a crashed alien entity. They learn that they have been bestowed with telekinetic powers and other extraordinary abilities. Initially discreet about the use of their newfound talents, they soon begin to use them recklessly. The troubled background of Andrew gradually influences his actions as he descends into EVIL. Chronicle’s narrative isn’t an especially creative or original one; dabbling in the ‘breeding grounds’ of cinema clichés, the high school drama and superhero feature, screenwriter Max Landis keeps everything safe, grounded but with a slither of ambiguity. Focusing on a character-driven story, and sensibly avoiding scientific jargon or conspiracies, Chronicle follows its three personalities through Andrew’s camera and does this confidently and rigorously

However, the problem lies with the characters themselves. Consisting of the stereotypical social types of the “American High School”; ‘Mr Popular’ (Steve), the ‘misunderstood, sensible one’ (Matt) and the ‘loner’ (Andrew), Chronicle has a hard time creating characters worth truly investing in. Michael B. Jordan puts in the standout performance that offers a touch of charm and wit in a film predominately devoid of likeable or intelligent individuals. The main focus is Andrew, and his tragic and dismal home-life and school-life is explored in a substantial amount of detail. Consequently, his character’s path and subsequent fate becomes all too apparent within the first 30 minutes. Dane DeHaan’s mumbling and frustratingly bland performance becomes a tedious affair, which isn’t helped by shoddy and dimwitted dialogue. What teenager has no general knowledge of what an ‘apex predator’ or ‘telekinesis’ is? Finally, Alex Russell is largely forgettable and loosely developed up until the final act. A romance is haphazardly introduced between his character and a classmate, which feels barebones and decidedly pointless.

Visually, Chronicle’s use of the hand-held medium is an interesting one for a story that crescendos in scope throughout its runtime. The change in film grain and audio quality after Andrew upgrades his camera is a neat touch, and the film is resilient in its cinematic endeavour. However, like Cloverfieldor the use of handheld cameras in action-sequences (The Bourne Trilogy), framing the fast-paced nature of the finale is hindered by the constraints of Trank’s artistic and technical choice. Meanwhile the impressive, interconnected editing from other sources such as CCTV footage or news helicopters, while attempting to rectify the inability to compose a film on a sizeable scale, directly contradicts the “from Andrew’s camera” perspective the film intends to capture. Other than that, the CGI looks awkward at times and the audio design is mediocre.

The main and big issue with Chronicle lies in its marketing campaign. Recently trailers in general have increasing become more determined to show the entirety of the film in 2 minutes, for example The Amazing Spiderman’s recent trailer. Chronicle’s leaves nothing to the imagination, even quickly rewinding from the film’s finale to mid-first act. The various “pranks” and action scenes don’t have the desired effect when they’ve been plastered before each Youtube video over and over and over again. The unfortunate reality is that those who haven’t seen the trailers will gain the most out ofChronicle.

Overall, Chronicle is a credible directorial debut by Josh Trank. His different angle on the genre is a somewhat entertaining one that, coupled with the ‘handy-cam’ style, creates a refreshing ‘superhero/power’ film. However, it’s a clichéd affair. From its characters to the training sequences nothing really stands out or surprises. Trank and Landis’ ‘grounded in believability’ approach backfires, melding the tedious social archetypes of high school with the overcooked and unimaginative notions of ‘superpowers’. 

2/5 

RespawningCouch Podcast: Episode 15: Bastion, The Avengers and Assassin's Creed III

This week: Energy levels have been replenished, so Jack and Ben discuss Bastion, The Witcher II, We Need To Talk About Kevin, and The Muppets in 'What You've Been Playing and Seeing?'. They then quickly talk about the Oscars, and analyse the "viral" video for Prometheus and the new 'Avengers Assemble' trailer. Finally, they give their thoughts on the news of Assassin's Creed III.

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Email: respawningcouch@gmail.com
Twitter: LightsCameraCri