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What was the last film you watched?
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<blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 412987" data-attributes="member: 23"><p style="text-align: center"><strong><span style="font-size: 22px">Gods and Monsters</span></strong> (1998)</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.moviepostershop.com%2Fgods-and-monsters-movie-poster-1998-1020196365.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=e126accda2457f38edb670b295da740b8f60ec8faff73fea3c84cd20eb697823&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">This was a last-minute "Plan B" film. I had <em>Fight Club </em>all ready to go but my partner flat out refused to watch it based on the visual imagery evoked by the title. I can understand and respect this since it's the reason I to had never wanted to watch, but I had a sudden desire to check it out after realising that Ed Norton is in it. Paired with Fincher and the fact that it seems a highly respected film, I was persuaded. Ah well, perhaps another time. </p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">The upshot was that a compromise was reached and <em>Gods and Monsters </em>was it. It was a suggestion from Prime after adding <em>Fight Club</em> to my watch list - presumably off the back of it being another Academy Award winner of the same era. </p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">I was in the position of watching this blind, since I knew almost nothing about it, I'm not familiar with James Whale (the film director - not to be mistaken for the radio presenter) and I only know his films by name reputation. This may have peeled away a layer or two of additional enjoyment for me, but was certainly no bar to investing in the story presented here. The people and pop culture referenced in the film could just as easily have been inventions for this film since it builds its world carefully and weaves real-life references in.</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">First impressions were fairly underwhelming. I felt it had a "made for TV" type of quality at times, a view reinforced quite early on in the running - during the scene where the vacuous squealing fanboy arrived to interview Whale - when a boom mic dipped into shot and stayed there for several seconds. For a few moments I thought this must be deliberate and waited patiently for the payoff, but came there none. </p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">The three key actors give great performances. Ian McKellen gives good sleaze. Manipulative old predators getting unworldly young men into positions where they can be ogled, touched or otherwise objectified is, sadly, a very truthful archetype, familiar to anyone who has spent time at a gay social gathering or bar. I'm sure they still exist (the predators, that is. Gay bars I'm less sure about. Everything seems so fluid and open nowadays they might be surplus to requirements). Lynn Redgrave is a surprise here, and I suspect unrecognisable compared with other roles. Brendan Fraser is equally surprising. I immediately associate his name with <em>George Of The Jungle</em>, so it was good to discover he has some acting chops with a substantial performance (of course, I've since realised he's more recently been lauded for <em>The Whale</em>)</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">There's something of the mid-life crisis fantasy to this film, with Fraser's character the key fantasy figure, which comes across in every aspect of his relationship with Whale, from the handyman lured into close proximity to the emotional intimacy to the situation they share during their sittings to the towel-dropping scene where he's finally baring skin to Whale willingly (an uncomfortable scene since it seems almost to come from Stockholm Syndrome or a fascination with the glamorous life. And even more so since it escalates to a sexual assault and violence). This is contrasted nicely with his character's working class earthiness in scenes away from this world, drinking beers in the bar, engaging in laddish banter with his friends (one of whom is an ex-girlfriend he's trying unsuccessfully to get back into bed). </p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">Helping keep the audience engaged are familiar names and faces. Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Margaret both show up at one event attended. And Pamela Salem - best known to me as a key member of The Firm in Eighties <em>EastEnders</em> - is Whale's mother in flashbacks. </p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">I came away feeling unqualified to give any kind of verdict as to its greatness, other than to say I'm glad I watched.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Spells & Karma, post: 412987, member: 23"] [CENTER][B][SIZE=6]Gods and Monsters[/SIZE][/B] (1998) [IMG]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.moviepostershop.com%2Fgods-and-monsters-movie-poster-1998-1020196365.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=e126accda2457f38edb670b295da740b8f60ec8faff73fea3c84cd20eb697823&ipo=images[/IMG] This was a last-minute "Plan B" film. I had [I]Fight Club [/I]all ready to go but my partner flat out refused to watch it based on the visual imagery evoked by the title. I can understand and respect this since it's the reason I to had never wanted to watch, but I had a sudden desire to check it out after realising that Ed Norton is in it. Paired with Fincher and the fact that it seems a highly respected film, I was persuaded. Ah well, perhaps another time. The upshot was that a compromise was reached and [I]Gods and Monsters [/I]was it. It was a suggestion from Prime after adding [I]Fight Club[/I] to my watch list - presumably off the back of it being another Academy Award winner of the same era. I was in the position of watching this blind, since I knew almost nothing about it, I'm not familiar with James Whale (the film director - not to be mistaken for the radio presenter) and I only know his films by name reputation. This may have peeled away a layer or two of additional enjoyment for me, but was certainly no bar to investing in the story presented here. The people and pop culture referenced in the film could just as easily have been inventions for this film since it builds its world carefully and weaves real-life references in. First impressions were fairly underwhelming. I felt it had a "made for TV" type of quality at times, a view reinforced quite early on in the running - during the scene where the vacuous squealing fanboy arrived to interview Whale - when a boom mic dipped into shot and stayed there for several seconds. For a few moments I thought this must be deliberate and waited patiently for the payoff, but came there none. The three key actors give great performances. Ian McKellen gives good sleaze. Manipulative old predators getting unworldly young men into positions where they can be ogled, touched or otherwise objectified is, sadly, a very truthful archetype, familiar to anyone who has spent time at a gay social gathering or bar. I'm sure they still exist (the predators, that is. Gay bars I'm less sure about. Everything seems so fluid and open nowadays they might be surplus to requirements). Lynn Redgrave is a surprise here, and I suspect unrecognisable compared with other roles. Brendan Fraser is equally surprising. I immediately associate his name with [I]George Of The Jungle[/I], so it was good to discover he has some acting chops with a substantial performance (of course, I've since realised he's more recently been lauded for [I]The Whale[/I]) There's something of the mid-life crisis fantasy to this film, with Fraser's character the key fantasy figure, which comes across in every aspect of his relationship with Whale, from the handyman lured into close proximity to the emotional intimacy to the situation they share during their sittings to the towel-dropping scene where he's finally baring skin to Whale willingly (an uncomfortable scene since it seems almost to come from Stockholm Syndrome or a fascination with the glamorous life. And even more so since it escalates to a sexual assault and violence). This is contrasted nicely with his character's working class earthiness in scenes away from this world, drinking beers in the bar, engaging in laddish banter with his friends (one of whom is an ex-girlfriend he's trying unsuccessfully to get back into bed). Helping keep the audience engaged are familiar names and faces. Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Margaret both show up at one event attended. And Pamela Salem - best known to me as a key member of The Firm in Eighties [I]EastEnders[/I] - is Whale's mother in flashbacks. I came away feeling unqualified to give any kind of verdict as to its greatness, other than to say I'm glad I watched.[/CENTER] [/QUOTE]
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