On the mention of The Fog: isn't that the type of movie that, when it is on, you've just got to watch it? I am not an expert on film, so forgive my clumsy way of saying this, maybe someone else can explain what I mean, but the best I can describe it: Carpenter seems to have this laidback manner of storytelling that is not dependent on overly tricky camera movement...instead, while he might throw in an innovation here and there (think Halloween and the killer's perspective, and honestly, I forget if that was somewhat influenced by Black Christmas or whatever), I think what makes his movies so engrossing is the way he lets the tale play out through the actors, and the way he uses casting science to drive the delivery of the tale...you've got to admit, the actors really fit the roles. And his tales are tales first...they aren't meant to be vehicles for celebrity talent or special effects. I just like the intrinsic fun nature of the stories, and the films are simply the delivery medium, they could have simply been written on the page to be read, and that would have been great enough. Prince of Darkness, BIg Trouble, Memoirs, these are all films I love to watch. And I guess too in Fog's case is you've got to love the scenery...the light house, the seaside town, the church interior...all great stuff.
I recently watched Young Sherlock Holmes. Never saw that one. Let me tell you - I was delighted. Brought me back to more youthful, pre-streaming days when celluloid was all the rage as opposed to zeroes/ones, and VHS was the dominant technology and the laser disc was the technology you were most curious about, and you would read about something like this in Starlog as opposed to Fangoria. Practical set design really brought out the atmosphere in that picture, and one has to wonder if it influenced the CGI look of Harry Potter (never saw those films, but I seemed to be thinking of them while watching this). Amazing Henry Winkler was involved in this; does he still produce movies? Steven Spielberg's aesthetic is all over this, it was a wonderfully satisfying story, the stained-glass apparition is historical and fun (i.e., Pixar, John Lasseter, ILM), and it's too bad that the Stranger Things generation will never know about it and its influece (file that under disappointing things).
Out of curiosity I looked up the kid who played young Holmes and saw he was in a miniseries of H.G. Wells stories from Hallmark, many, many years ago, before the name became synonymous with winter gift-giving. I think it is called The Infinite World of H.G. Wells. This is also a lot of fun with some great stories, but I confess it is hard sometimes to follow the dialogue because of the British accents. Nevertheless, I haven't let that stop me, I am half-way through it and not at all disappointed yet...
I recently watched Young Sherlock Holmes. Never saw that one. Let me tell you - I was delighted. Brought me back to more youthful, pre-streaming days when celluloid was all the rage as opposed to zeroes/ones, and VHS was the dominant technology and the laser disc was the technology you were most curious about, and you would read about something like this in Starlog as opposed to Fangoria. Practical set design really brought out the atmosphere in that picture, and one has to wonder if it influenced the CGI look of Harry Potter (never saw those films, but I seemed to be thinking of them while watching this). Amazing Henry Winkler was involved in this; does he still produce movies? Steven Spielberg's aesthetic is all over this, it was a wonderfully satisfying story, the stained-glass apparition is historical and fun (i.e., Pixar, John Lasseter, ILM), and it's too bad that the Stranger Things generation will never know about it and its influece (file that under disappointing things).
Out of curiosity I looked up the kid who played young Holmes and saw he was in a miniseries of H.G. Wells stories from Hallmark, many, many years ago, before the name became synonymous with winter gift-giving. I think it is called The Infinite World of H.G. Wells. This is also a lot of fun with some great stories, but I confess it is hard sometimes to follow the dialogue because of the British accents. Nevertheless, I haven't let that stop me, I am half-way through it and not at all disappointed yet...
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