Apologue Blogue

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

The Fallen Hero

I have my share of favorite auteurs, filmmakers who are instantly recognizable by a single frame of film: Hitchcock, Welles, Spielberg, Leone, Tarantino.

I also have my share of shameful auteurs, filmmakers who I can't stand to watch for any length of time: Michael Bay and Uwe Boll (the only two I actively avoid)

But then there's a director who transcends these lists. An artist who has made films that truly speak to the human hubris and psyche, and films that were assaulted the medium and the source material. He directed films that forced you to question everything you just saw, and can ruin the reputation of one of the most progressive animated series in recent history.
Manoj Night Shyamalan's trajectory in the film world could be written as a tragedy. A man with an exorbitant amount of talent for storytelling, falling from grace to become a fool in the eyes of those who held him in such high regards. His biggest success came in 1999 with the groundbreaking film that set the bar for modern Psychological Horror films The Sixth Sense; a film that begged the viewer to re-watch it to pick up on the subtleties dropped throughout the film (albeit the use of flashbacks at the end interfered with that a bit) and caused quite a bit of stirring with audiences concerning spoilers.

There has been plenty said about this film in particular, to the point that it is heavily referenced in college classes and textbooks. Instead I want to focus on the following project Unbreakable (2000), which is a beautiful allegory for his professional trajectory.

Unbreakable had the unfortunate disposition of being cast in the shadow of Sense, which caused many critics to critique it unfairly, and the studio to inappropriately market it as another psychological horror film, instead of a superhero origin story. In essence, this is the Nolan-esque Superman film that WB and DC have been trying to distill in their recent ventures. Gritty, suspenseful and almost completely devoid of bright colors, save for some choice elements, this is a perfect example of how you can make the Man of Steel serious and brooding.
Unfortunately, after its lackluster boxoffice success, there was no hope for subsequent sequels.
Signs (2002) fared better, grossing more than Unbreakable and just behind Sense, this sci-fi horror thriller continued Shyamalan's recipe for iconic shock moments and twist endings. Ultimately his reputation had set in, and now audiences were privy to his bait, and were looking for the switch.
The Village (2004), Lady in the Water (2006) and The Happening (2008) all suffered from poor reviews, declining further and further into his comfort zone of psychological horror/thriller, without the thrill, and losing the sense of horror with his actor's performances.
Then in 2010, he tried to break away and do something more lighthearted; he gained the rights to Avatar: The Last Airbender, a Nickelodeon show that had gained a massive following from both children and adults alike.

Fans of the show had been excited about the prospect of a film adaptation of the beloved group of friends as they take on a mighty empire (totally NOT Star Wars. At all. In the least) but were utterly crushed when the film seemingly betrayed their hopes and expectations. The Actors were all wrong. The writing was off. The colors were drab. The director, who claimed that he and his family were HUGE fans of the show, had made a mockery of one of the best American Anime series ever made (seriously, if you haven't seen Avatar: The Last Airbender, do it, and I dare you to tell me Iroh isn't your favorite character.)
This was the final nail in the coffin. Whether his intentions were pure and the studio impeded him, or he just didn't have the full understanding of what he should have left in and taken out, it will be difficult for him to ever recuperate from such a heavy blow as The Last Airbender (2010)
After Earth (2013) fared no better, partially due to the massive failure of Airbender lingering over it, and partially due to the wayward script as a way for Will Smith to try and promote his son's fledgling acting career.
How does Unbreakable stand as an allegory for Shyamalan, though? Bruce Willis was the hero, he beat the bad guy and saved the day.
But that was the protagonist. Samuel L. Jackson, on the other hand, was the REAL Shyamalan.

In the film, whenever we are introduced to Elijah Prince, we are seeing him through a reflection. As an infant, there are three layers of reflection in the department store. As a teen, a television screen. As an adult, a glass case housing the drawing from the cover of his first comic book. A layer of glass separates him from us, and he from society. That's due to his genetic disease, making his bones extremely fragile, often called Brittle Bone Disease, by merely falling over he can risk extreme bodily harm. He stands as a dark reflection to Willis' David Dunn, in almost every conceivable way.
Dunn is a strong, broad shouldered ex-athlete more concerned about protecting others than his own self-preservation and has the ability to sense people's motives with a brush past them.
Prince is a slender hunched comic book geek, who was afraid to even leave his house as a boy, and became obsessed with the ideals of the fictional universes.
But the true definition of his character is revealed at the "twist" of the film, when he gives his final monologue to Dunn:
"Now that we know who you are, I know who I am. I'm not a mistake! It all makes sense! In a comic, you know how you can tell who the arch-villain's going to be? He's the exact opposite of the hero. And most times they're friends, like you and me! I should've known way back when... You know why, David? Because of the kids. They called me Mr Glass."

And that's where it is. Shyamalan could have been one of the greatest directors alive, and proved it with Sense and Unbreakable, but was unable to due to restrictions forced upon him by the studios, transforming him into a husk of an auteur. We need people like Shyamalan, Michael Bay, and Uwe Boll remind future filmmakers of what may become of us if we don't challenge the formulas of the studios.
Or as Harvey Dent said it best:
"You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

October list 2, THE RETURN

Today is a particularly special day. Firstly, it's a Blood Moon in the month of October,

which is just a perfectly timed event. Coincidentally, tonight is the premiere of the fourth season of American Horror Story: Freak Show. So in honor of that, I'm going to start off with the film that this season will be (hopefully) pulling from, Freaks (1932).

Freaks follows the story of a woman looking to seduce a performer in a freak show for his inheritance. Plot wise, it's pretty straight forward, and it doesn't play out as a true horror film until the third act, but what's truly spectacular was the casting. The majority of the main cast weren't A-list actors, but rather actual sideshow performers and giving them proper acting roles, also effectively cutting out the need for elaborate special effects. This acts as a bit of a double edged sword, as it showcases people who don't fit the typical ideal of "normal," however it makes them out to be villains and REAL monsters by the end. Tragically, this film was not well received at the time of its release, and tarnished the reputation of Tod Browning, who directed one of the MOST famous classic horror film, Dracula (1931). What I AM hopeful for is that AHS keeps true to its origins and cast people who suffer from physical deformities and humanize them for mainstream audiences, all the while keeping up with its horror roots.

Speaking of Dracula, perhaps the most grotesque "adaptation" is Nosferatu (1922).

You've seen images of this terrifying film as stock footage in any documentary about vampires, Dracula or Vlad the Impaler.

This film IS Dracula, but since the filmmakers didn't have the rights to the characters, had to change the names, locations and omit characters. What came from this however, is a haunting and suspenseful horror film which grips you with overly long, slender fingers. In Film school, you're taught about German Expressionism through The Cabinet of Doctor Calligari (1920) (more about that later) but if you want examples of how this form of cinematography works, this is the film to see. Max Schreck's Graf Orlok exemplifies the horrific nature of what a vampire should be. Hideous and repulsive, he is the physical manifestation of evil. It's a remarkable contrast to Bela Lugosi's Dracula which appears as an upstanding gentleman, but with a dark side which came out almost ten years later. I prefer this version, as much as I love Bela Lugosi's makeup, the way Schreck was done up leaves a very unsettling chill down your spine.

Nosferatu also inspired the film Shadow of the Vampire (2000) starring John Malkovich and, a personal favorite of mine, Willem Dafoe.

Shadow chronicles the events during the production of Nosferatu wherein Max Schreck (Dafoe) and F.W. Murnau (Malkovich) are going through the trials of making a film which has limited time and resources, and mysteriously keeps losing stagehands and crew members. It's a great Film about filmmaking, and I will always recommend Willem Dafoe films, especially as a seemingly eccentric "method" actor.

As for eccentric actors, I'd like to bring up a less "horror" and more light hearted film that my family LOVES this time of year, Hocus Pocus (1993). Starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and (dammit I WILL count him as a billed actor) Doug Jones. This delightful story takes place in Salem, MA and follows a brother and sister who have to deal with Three sister witches who where fabled to have been killed in 1693, but are resurrected and seek their book of shadows (which is the family friendly version of the Necronomicon from Evil Dead). Bette Midler is on point with her characterization of Winifred Sanderson (it stayed with me to the point of thinking Queen Amidala looked like her in Episode 1),

Seriously, I can't be the only one...

and for all the flak she gets now SJP had a profound effect on me as a young boy (you can't see her in a corset and NOT know what I'm talking about).

It's basically the Three Stooges as witches, and it's glorious. As for Doug Jones, he really is an underrated character actor, bringing undead Billy Butcherson to life to be the bumbling oaf turned sympathetic turncoat at the end.

If you have yet to see it, please do so. It also has one of my favorite adaptations of "I put a spell on you" in it that I think improves on the original song.

If you want to go back to true horror and monsters, I give you Necronomicon (1993).

Necronomicon is an anthology horror film in which there are four loosely connected stories in one film. The baseline story is following author H.P. Lovecraft to find inspiration for his stories by hunting down a fabled book called the Necronomicon. As he reads the book, you see tales concerning its contents and creatures which inhabit the realms of his imagination. Ranging from immortality to resurrection through eldrich beings to... well.. THIS:

I will go in to greater depth of Lovecraft's horror at a later date, but if you want a great introduction of his work adapted to film, this is where you should start.

How could I have forgotten this gem? From Dusk Til Dawn (1996) stars George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Quentin Tarantino, Cheech Marin and Salma Hayek, and is a beautiful example of an excessive explosion of blood, gore and violence.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez, the film starts as a buddy criminal film with Clooney and Tarantino as criminals on the run trying to cross the border to Mexico. Little do they know that the strip club that is their dead drop is really a feeding ground for vampires. Well executed, fun, and Salma Hayek doing the snake dance that everyone has seen.

Dusk has also inspired a spinoff series on Netflix which I plan on seeing at some point.

Dusk was partially inspired by my final recommendation this week, The Lost Boys (1987) directed by everyone's FAVORITE Batman director, Joel Schumacher and stars Corey Feldman and Kiefer Sutherland (yes, Jack Bauer from 24 as a vampire).

This one is heralded as one of the most iconic vampire films and brought these creature of the night to a grotesque and punkish overtone compared to the previous incarnations of the vampires of before. If you ask me what a vampire looks like, it won't be the Bela Lugosi, but rather either Kiefer Sutherland or Max Schreck in their vampiric makeup.

And so concludes the second week of the October horror list, I hope you manage to watch at least a few of these. In the meantime, I'll leave you with the Lost Boys Soundtrack! Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

October Blogue part 1

Since this is the beginning of October, I'd like to kick off this blog with some of my personal favorite horror/special effects films. These films are what stand out to me with true movie "magic." Many contemporary films rely on visual effects (or CGI effects) which take away from the mystery of "how'd they do that?" and with Horror films, or films with great special effects (or practical effects) that wonderment still holds strong.

In no particular order, I want to start this list off with John Carpenter's The Thing from 1982.

Adapted from Howard Hawks' 1951 Film The Thing from Another World, the film follows a group of scientists in the Arctic as they deal with a deadly alien organism that imitates any living creature it comes in contact with. Starring Kurt Russel, Keith David, and Wilford Brimley, this classic is also loosely based off of H.P. Lovecraft's story At the Mountains of Madness. I remember this film fondly from my childhood after seeing screenshots of the creature in a Sci-Fi magazine. Seeing a severed human head with spidery legs sprouting out from the top and a mouthful of fangs hanging from the ceiling.

The effects used with the creature are nightmareish, including a dog that turns itself inside out, to a chest cavity opening up and biting off the arms of a man trying to perform a defibrillation. They strike a horrific balance within the uncanny valley, since the creature is trying to look human, but isn't getting it quite right until the very end of the film. This is also a great example of why you should never fully expose or explain the creature, helping to further instill the same paranoia in the audience as to the characters on screen. And to top it all off, the score was composed by my personal favorite composer, Ennio Morricone. You'll be hearing me gush over his work throughout the blogs, especially when we discuss Western and Noir films.

Next up is a bit of an obscure cult favorite, Repo! The Genetic Opera from 2008.

It is by far, the BEST Sci-fi Horror Musical i've ever seen (and no, that doesn't count Rocky Horror, since IMDB counts that as a comedy musical). Adapted from the stage play of the same name and written by the same duo, Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich, this post-apocalyptic gothic thriller follows the exploits of a Conglomerate that has cornered the market of genetically engineered body parts which they sell to the populace after a plague wipes out most of the populace. This comes at a major cost, however, and should those who have the implants fail to pay, they send out the Repo Man to repossess said implants.

Starring Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head, Sarah Brightman, and Paris Hilton, the best way to describe this film is Hot Topic: The Movie. It's not the deepest film in the world, but it's a good bit of gory fun and you get to see Paris' face fall off, so there's that.

Back to serious horror, the films that kicked off Rob Zombie's film career: House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and The Devil's Rejects (2005).

This pair of films are really the pinnacle of everything Rob Zombie IS. you can't really watch these movies and not think that this is what goes on in his mind. Starring Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie and Matthew McGregory, these films follow a family of deranged serial killers. In House, you watch as they prey on a group of unsuspecting teens looking for the strange and bizarre (sound familiar?) however, it's the hallucinogenic imagery and the gruesome downfall of the characters that make Jigsaw seem like a reasonable person. scenes including, but not limited to: necrophilia, human taxidermy, mutilation, and psychotic Clowns, this is not a film for the easily offended.

Rejects is the continuation of this story, but in the form of a Thelma and Louise style roadtrip film as the family is on the run from the law, and getting their kicks along the way.

The end is still the best use of Freebird i've ever seen, and has a sort of heartwarming feel to it when you see the dedicatoin to Matthew McGrory, who passed away during the filming of the film. If you love gory horror films and have a knack for the sick and twisted, these are the first films I would recommend.

Next up, Hobo with a Shotgun from 2011.

Playing off of the exploitation and grind house films of the 70's and 80's, Hobo is full of over the top special effects, including decapitation via draw and quartering from a vehicle, hands being shoved into lawnmowers and PLENTY of shotgun wounds.

Staring Rutger Hauer as the titular character, this indie film does what the best indie horror films do: never holds back. There's not a whole lot to explain with this one, Hobo with a Shotgun is exactly what it sounds like.

And speaking of Indy horror films, I can't forget to include the Evil dead trilogy, but specifically Evil Dead 2.

These legendary films by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell have become staples in the horror genre. What makes part 2 my favorite have to be the effects. It hits the perfect balance of creepy, terrifying, funny and gruesome that is rarely seen in other films. Starting with the stop motion ballerina, to the possessed hand, the laughing deer head, and the birth of the chainsaw arm, the effects are beautifully haunting and have earned their place in cinematic history as far as I am concerned.

If you haven't seen these films yet, stop reading and watch these.

Going to a more lighthearted ghost film with amazing effects, the classic Ghostbusters film, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver and the late Harold Ramis.

I don't need to go in to too much detail for you about the story, since you've more than likely seen it multiple times before, but what makes it special for me are the effects and the creature design.

The ghosts look like mutated versions of what you would have seen from The Haunted Mansion, and the compositing of the characters in the scene is still flawless to this day. But you knew all of this already, because you've seen this countless times... right? Seek immediate medication if this is false.

That will conclude part 1 of my list of monster/horror films. next week will be part 2, and hopefully will have some added content from other horror buffs!

For more film reviews which lean towards the macabre, head to my friend Dani's Blog. She goes into much more in depth analysis of more lesser known films, or films you may not have considered watching.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The new Apologue Blogue!

Hello and welcome to the Apologue Blogue!

Since you're all new here, allow me to introduce myself.

I am Evin Fowler, a filmmaker based out of Atlanta, Georgia with 10+ years of filmmaking experience.

These blogs will compliment a bimonthly podcast where I will be joined with other like minded and passionate folk to talk about things that educate, inform, and bring about critical thought about filmmaking and pop-culture in general.

We'll be covering everything from major film events like new releases, to classics, and personal favorites.

Due to our experience being on set and working on films, we'll also be discussing the technical aspects of filmmaking, such as equipment, techniques, special effects, visual effects, costuming and more!

With the help of Citizens of the Universe, we are pleased to bring new insights into the industry and will be looking forward to creating some great content for you

So please join us, I guarantee there will be something for everyone to enjoy!