Thursday 31 October 2013

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens



The original poster for nosferatu
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
Dir: F.W. Murnau

   Nosferatu is my favourite film of all time. Since first seeing it on DVD around 2004/5 I’ve become somewhat obsessed with it, gathering seven versions of the film on DVD* (soon to be eight with next month’s Blu-Ray release) as well as remakes, homages, graphic novel adaptations and much more. Just last week I had the pleasure of seeing the film on the big screen for the first time in a limited theatrical run to promote the Blu-Ray.
   So, with that in mind and because, as a blogger I am legally required to do a Halloween post, let’s give it a review.

   Nosferatu, for those who don’t know, is a German silent film, intended to be the first film adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. However, the creators failed to obtain the rights to the novel and decided instead to change elements of the plot as well as the characters names to avoid legal troubles, thus, Jonathan Harker becomes Thomas Hutter, his wife Mina becomes Ellen and Count Dracula becomes Graf Orlok.
   The changes didn’t work though, and shortly after the release Bram Stoker’s widow took the film makers to court and won. As a result of the verdict all copies of the film had to be destroyed, though luckily several copies survived in the hands of private collectors.
    Today, both the film and the original novel have both fallen into the public domain so we are now free to enjoy the film in all its glory.

The monstrous Graf Orlok
   I adore this film. Despite its age it still holds up today and the creepy atmosphere and slow pacing still work brilliantly. The main draw is of course, Graf Orlok himself, played to perfection by Max Schreck who moves slowly and stiffly his every gesture laborious. Despite the film being silent you can almost hear the vampire’s joints creak as he stalks his prey. Unlike later incarnations of the Count, who portray him as suave and seductive, Orlok is repulsive, ugly and rat-like. He certainly looks like a centuries old creature risen from the grave and it’s a far more frightening visual to see this decaying beast enter a room than the handsome gent Dracula is so often portrayed as.
   What makes Orlok all the more interesting is how little we see him. Over the ninety minute runtime of the film, he appears on screen for just over ten minutes, yet when finishing the film, it feels as if his presence was stamped onto every frame.

   Interestingly, some elements of the Orlok character intended to differentiate him from his novel counterpart have found their way back into the Dracula mythos. The film casts Orlok as a nocturnal creature and the film’s ending sees him killed by the light of the sun. This is drastically different to the novel which sees Dracula walking around London in the sun perfectly happily, yet the idea of sun killing vampires has seeped into popular culture and today it is seen in almost all vampire media, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the Twilight saga. I’ve even seen film adaptations of Dracula that see the vampire killed off by the sun, the weakness of his “knock-off” counterpart.

Hutter and Orlok meet for the first time
   The rest of the cast are brilliant too, Gustav Von Wangenheim although prone to overacting (one of the few things that really date the film) portrays Hutter as an innocent fool, more child than man who finds his world turned upside down with his visit to Orlok’s castle.
   Greta Schroder is fantastic as the melancholic Ellen who appears almost as ghost-like as Orlok himself over the course of the film.
   All are backed up be vibrant and memorable performances by the supporting cast, including Alexander Granach’s energetic portrayal of Knock, the film’s version of Renfield.

   Aside from Orlok though, the real star are the visuals that director F.W. Murnau and his cinematographer F.A. Wagner were able to craft. The scenes in Orlok’s castle especially are wonderfully claustrophobic, the audience feels trapped in the small rooms just as Hutter is and the brilliant use of shadows make for some of cinemas most memorable scenes. Who could forget the eerie sight of Orlok’s shadow ascend the staircase and open the door to Ellen’s room?

Orlok's shadow climbs the stairs
   While Nosferatu may not frighten modern audiences as much as it did those of the past, the film still maintains a quiet, chilling atmosphere, the scary scenes are few and far between but the tension builds slowly between them. Watching this film alone is the dark is still be a haunting experience that hasn’t been dampened by the passage of time. Watching Nosferatu today is still rich and rewarding and I would encourage you to seek it out this Halloween and take the trip with Hutter, to the land of thieves and ghosts.

Happy Halloween
  *A note on the various versions of the film for those wishing to seek it out. If possible I would avoid the public domain version (the version usually found on sites like youtube). This version restores the characters names back to their Dracula counterparts, is often ran at the wrong speed (resulting in Benny Hill-a-like movement), isn’t tinted and often has scenes missing. It’s a very poor version of the film and definitely not the one you want to watch if you’re watching for the first time.

   If you want to watch the film properly the best way to do so is with the Masters of Cinema edition on DVD which presents the film as it is meant to be seen,correct tinting/intertitles/speed etc and with the original score. This is by far the best version out there, so if you’re serious about watching the film make sure it’s the one you pick up.

   Alternativly, there’s my personal favourite, the Eureka version with an electronic score by French group Art Zoyd. While the modern soundtrack may put some people off, personally I think it’s the score that best matches the visuals of the film and lends the most horror to the scenes with Orlok.

   Whatever edition you end up watching though (…but seriously, don’t watch the public domain version) I hope you enjoy it. You’re in for a treat.

Monday 9 September 2013

Comic Con Haul


Comic-Con Haul 07/09/13
This Saturday I Headed to MCM Comic-Con in the Glasgow SECC, I'd planned on taking a bunch of photos and making a massive post about the day but...frankly...I had too much fun to remember to take any pictures.
I had an absolute blast, seen a lot of awesome things and got to chat with some brilliantly talented artists.

While I didn't get any pictures though, one thing I certainly did get...is stuff. So, here it is, my haul from MCM 2013.

Let's start with Edward Ross' Filmish. A series of indie comics dealing with film and film theory, these are great I've read all three and they're absolutely brilliant. Also had a wee chat with Ross himself and he was a genuinely nice guy. I was happy to support him and I'll definitely be buying more from him in the future.

Robots is a collection of short strips by various writers published by Accent UK, not read this yet but it's wonderfully presented and was a bargain.

More from Accent, these are three separate issues sold in a bundle. each issues deals with a seperate theme, Monster, Pirates and Twelve seems to be just a collection of random strips. 

I also picked up the final ever issue of the Dandy. I've never been a massive Dandy fan but I had a lot of respect for the comic and was very sad to learn that it was going to finish. I'd hoped to pick this up when it was released but missed it in stores. Glad to have finally picked it up.

Badges, these were free from Tokyo toys when you spent a certain ammount of money. I got them when I bought...

...this awesome Sonic hat...

...and also Ash's hat.

Also got a blue demon wrestling mask. I've wanted a wrestling mask for ages now but it's hard to find any that aren't based on Rey Mysterio who I'm not much or a fan of. Blue Demon is a wrestling legend so I was more than happy to get one based on his mask.

Finally I got a tiny C3PO as a gift for my fiancee who couldn't make it to the event. She loves C3PO so this was a nice little thing to get her.

When we left the event we took a wander around Glasgow for a little while. Wasn't planning on spending anymore money...but then....I seen this....

there was no way I wasn't buying this.....

Saturday 1 June 2013

20 Years of Sonic The Comic: A Tribute



Sonic The Comic
20 Years of Sonic The Comic: A Tribute

Britain’s fortnightly Sonic The Comic turns twenty this year. Published by Egmont Fleetway, the series, which ran from 1993 to 2002, was originally conceived as more of a Sega comic. The book featuring a lead strip featuring Sonic but also backup strips featuring other Sega titles like Golden Axe, Shinobi, Wonder Boy and Streets of Rage. Over time, the focus shifted further in the direction of Sonic eventually dropping all other strips entirely (with the notable exception of Decap Attack, a strip initially used to advertise a now little known game but which evolved into something of a pet project for writer and artist Nigel Kitching).

STC was my first introduction to comics, I first picked it up at issue 101, just missing out on the issue widely considered to be the best in the series….*sigh*. Nonetheless, I was hooked and bought every issue from then on up until the series’ cancellation. I have many fond memories of the series, of taking my copies to school and reading them on my lunch break, re-enacting scenes with m friends and of my first tastes of freedom as a child when I was allowed to go into town by myself to buy it from the newsagent. The series has been with me my whole life and means a lot to me. But my love of STC is not only nostalgia talking, it was a genuinely great comic.

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Ray Harryhausen: A Tribute



Harryhausen at work
Ray Harryhausen 
1920 – 2013

A dashing hero steps from his boat onto a deserted beach, he walks inland and discovers a temple. He approaches the door and quickly draws his sword as he sees the creature that dwells within. The gorgon, half woman half serpent, with snakes for hair and a gaze that turns man to stone. Bravely he leaps in and the two are locked in combat to the death.

This scene and countless others like it, were the work of special effects legend Ray Harryhausen, whose highly detailed models came to life and thrilled audiences on the big screen since the 1940’s and have influenced several of our most famous film makers.

Yesterday it was announced through the Ray and Diana Harryhausen foundation Twitter and Facebook accounts the Harryhausen had passed away. He was ninety two.

Over his forty year film career, Harryhausen would breathe life into dinosaurs, aliens, giants, sea creatures and almost every creature from Greek mythology but he is perhaps most famous for the famous scene in Jason and The Argonauts that seen the eponymous hero battle an army of warrior skeletons, a scene which still holds up brilliantly to this day.
Jason battles the skeleton warriors

By today’s standards his techniques were fairly primitive. Original footage would be projected onto a screen, Harryhausen would then animate his models frame by frame in front of the projection and re-photograph the images. This is the reason that the image quality of the live action footage visibly drops whenever his creatures take to the screen.
Primitive or now however, these effects work brilliantly and still look amazing to this day. There are no computers involved in his films, every creature is a real thing brought to life through sheer hard work and determination.

While CGI may dominate the film industry today, his influence is still felt, with everyone from George Lucas to Peter Jackson to James Cameron proudly singing his praises and honouring his influence.
Harryhausen was one of films greats. He brought the magical to life and made us believe in the impossible. His work took us to other worlds and made us gaze at the screen in awe.
We have lost a legend, but the legends he brought to life will live forever.
Harryhausen with his creations

Tuesday 5 February 2013

In Watermelon Sugar



In Watermelon Sugar
Richard Brautigan

"iDEATH is a place where the sun shines a different colour every day and where people travel to the length of their dreams. Rejecting the violence and hate of the old gang at the Forgotten Works, they lead gentle lives in watermelon sugar. In this book, Richard Brautigan discovers and expresses the mood of a new generation."