Feature Category: Article

As BIG FINISH unleash the next series of SURVIVORS, an adaptation of the cult ‘70s serial we look back at its genesis and forward to the continuing audio adventures…

Back in the pre-Star Wars 1970s, sci-fi was all about dystopian futures and post-apocalyptic landscapes – even George Lucas himself mixed the two genres in his debut feature THX 1138. The BBC got in on the act with Dalek-creator Terry Nation’s 1975 series Survivors, a bleak account of a world all but emptied of its population in the wake of a man-made disease that had originated in the Orient, and that thanks to an accident had broken free of its laboratory and been allowed to spread unchecked – Nation’s subsequent series Blake’s 7 was hardly any less grim (if a little more colourfully characterised), and here Nation was analogising the potential consequences of a Cold War that at the time seemed all too ready to heat up.

Survivors was a huge success, partly thanks to the prevailing obsessions of a nation that still remembered rationing first-hand while fearing the imminence of the four-minute warning, but largely due to the casting of its three principal characters; as Greg, Jenny, and Abby, Ian McCulloch, Lucy Fleming, and Carolyn Seymour were middle class stoicism incarnate; between them combining all the attributes – toughness and warmth, determination and an unwillingness to suffer fools gladly – that the watching public would have hoped to possess in their stead. It helped that the subtly played relationship between Greg and Jenny was one that people could appreciate and identify with.

The 1970s’ other obsession, again running in parallel with the too-real possibility of global Armageddon, was the kind of back-to-basics living that gave rise to the sitcom The Good Life, in which a suburban couple decide to shun modern technology and become totally self-sufficient, living off the produce of their garden. By the midway point of Survivors’ first series, its producer Terence Dudley was already at loggerheads with Terry Nation over the direction the programme should take, Dudley favouring the establishment of an agricultural settlement in which the characters could form a similar such base, and Nation preferring for them a more itinerant, action-adventure existence. The uneasy consensus between the two approaches allowed for a diversity of themes and a strength of narrative that is almost unparalleled in primetime television; the episode Law and Order is legendary, and rightly so, and Survivors is one of those rare, once-seen-never-forgotten programmes that ranks alongside the likes of Cathy Come Home and Edge of Darkness in British television history.

Small wonder that it was ripe for a 21st century makeover, then, once Strictly Come Dancing and Doctor Who had proven that the successes of the past needn’t stay in the past, but the 2008 BBC revival had neither the contemporary zeitgeist of the original, nor the strength of its casting in its favour, and didn’t last long. And that’s where Big Finish comes in.

Big Finish had three major advantages over the producers of the 2008 Survivors, the most obvious being that as an audio drama series they weren’t seeking to appeal to the modern generation of television viewers and match whatever their current concerns were – and the second being that as an audio series, the fact that almost forty years had passed wouldn’t stop them from using the same actors as the 1975 original and in the same roles, contemporaneously. But their biggest advantage was an understanding of the material. The thing that made Survivors work so well in 1975 was that no matter how unrelenting the plots, people cared what happened to the characters and desperately wanted them to succeed against whatever the episodes threw at them – and some of it was pretty dark. The Big Finish revival takes that as its central premise and works to it quite brilliantly.

The audio Survivors, then, now up to its third biannual series each comprising four sixty-minute episodes, goes back to the beginning and retells the story of the apocalypse through the eyes of a handful of brand new characters. The genius of this approach is two-fold; firstly, it allows the company to tell its own stories without needing to be beholden to the plotlines of the original series, despite taking place overtly within that same universe (rather than recreating it as the TV remake attempted to do), and secondly, it means that although we know the returning regulars from the 1975 series can’t be killed off without wreaking havoc with the original continuity, the newly established characters aren’t anything like as safe. And the writers have been quite prepared to use that.
 

One of the additional benefits of audio is the sheer amount of dialogue, which enables the production to create initially unsympathetic characters who the listener can easily warm to by having a more detailed experience of their motivations; one such character in the first series is Maddie Price, as played by Chase Masterson. The Big Finish story kicks off with Price attempting to return home to the States, and getting caught up in a confused and eventually besieged airport as the virus ultimately strikes home. By virtue of the drama being all in sound, it’s easy to imagine situations such as this which the TV series could never have afforded to create. Louise Jameson joins the cast in episode two, and immediately the writers signal quite how far they’re prepared to drive the original premise; Jackie Burchall’s backstory is incredibly sad and moving, and yet at the same time shocking and reprehensible. In the land that develops after the end of the world, the writers seem to be positing a new set of rules will dictate the differences between Right and Wrong.

The rest of the first series toys with bringing the new characters together – both with one another and with the returning cast of the original – but does so by relating a set of circumstances that essentially means all four hours have added up to a single story; in a way slightly more tangible than if there had simply been continuing themes threaded throughout. The second and third series have continued this practice, by comprising four individual episodes each that combine to make a more coherent whole.

By creating an aural backdrop to the stories that avoids traditional melodies (the original TV series didn’t include incidental music of any kind, adding to the feeling of the world as we knew it having ended), and by relying on an enormously strong cast all playing extremely well-drawn characters in stories that are every bit as engaging and thought-provoking as the 1975 series, Big Finish have with Survivors developed an immersive universe and an incredibly engaging set of dramas, possibly the finest work they’ve ever produced. If you’re remotely interested in the genre, and even if you’re not generally inclined towards audio drama, this is compelling stuff and easily deserving of your time.

SURVIVORS Series Three is out now from bigfinish.com.

It’s a giallo classic that has been criminally overlooked, but has a fantastic pedigree and boasts a wealth of talent, so prepare to find out WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE?

Unless you are more than a casual fan of giallo, there is a good chance that Massimo Dallamano’s What Have You Done to Solange? will have passed you by. While there could be many reasons for this, the most likely is that Dallamano is not one of the first few names necessarily associated with the genre. Notable directors such as Mario Bava and Umberto Lenzi, Lucio Fulci and, especially, Dario Argento, who arguably turned giallo into a cultural phenomenon, are renowned and respected throughout the world, but Dallamano is notable more for his absence. Interesting, then, that he produced one of the most interesting films in the classic giallo era.

Beginning his career as a cinematographer under the name Jack Dalmas, Dallamano worked on Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and For A Few Dollars More (1965), before directing his first spaghetti western Bandidos in 1967. Before his tragic death in a car accident in 1976, aged just 59, Dallamano only directed a dozen or so films but one, What Have You Done to Solange? is, without doubt, one of the most significant in the Golden Age of giallo. Although some consider it not to be a giallo in the truest sense, as it does not adhere to the unique conventions of the genre.

The debate over Solange (as we shall call it henceforth for ease) exists due to its comparison thematically and stylistically with another genre of Italian cinema, and essentially world cinema in the 1970’s: that of the action-crime thriller. While the base structure of a giallo film can be simplistically defined as a gruesome murder mystery, often with a sexual, paranoid or supernatural element, Solange follows much more of a standard format. While Italian teacher Enrico Rosseni (played with impeccable style by Fabio Testi) is seducing his young mistress (Cristina Galbó, best known for The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, 1974 – see Horror Obscura in STARBURST #401) she witnesses what she thinks may have been a sadistic murder. Complications ensue as they are student and teacher at an exclusive all-girls school, and as more murders occur, their relationship and involvement in the case comes under increased scrutiny. What’s more, Rosseni’s frosty German wife is also a teacher at the school and harbours justifiable doubts over her husband’s fidelity. As rumours of seedy covens and dark cults are revealed, the mystery deepens even further.

Within the more conventional story of Solange, there are several key elements that do establish it as a giallo film, but also several more that set Dallamano’s key work apart.

During the killings, which are typically sexual in nature, the mysterious antagonist wears black leather gloves, and the action is seen from a first-person point of view. This, perhaps more than any other trait, is what people remember from giallo films. Furthermore, heightened, vulnerable and at times innocent sexuality are prevalent throughout and the motive for the crimes is similar in theme to that often used giallo trope of insanity or madness; either inherent or temporary. The notable differences come in the style of direction and the inclusion of greater subtlety in the design. Many giallo films are often categorised by their brash and at times lurid style but Solange is considerably more subdued, plainer if you will, as there is a distinct lack of that ‘high fashion’ element. That is not to say this is a dull film; quite the contrary, but it is designed much more like a typical thriller than an excessively indulgent giallo.

Dallamano’s direction is perhaps the most interesting aspect. While encompassing many traditional giallo traits, he restrains the camera, resisting the sweeping visuals and disorientating movement that typifies many of the films of Argento and Bava. Here there is a more serious tone, specifically as the story moves towards its bleak revelation, and this gives Solange much more of a grounded feel, focussing on the performances rather than the surrounding visuals. Camille Keaton, most famous for rape-revenge horror I Spit on Your Grave recalls the filming process:

“We shot most of the film in England although it was a German-Italian co-production. I only had about three or four days’ work within two and a half weeks so I had plenty of time off and I got to explore London, which was really exciting. And it was on Solange that I learned how to do certain things because the director Massimo Dallamano works very closely with his actors. So I learned a lot about how to work in front of the camera from him.”

Keaton’s comments are interesting as they identify Dallamano as an actor’s director. In the film, Keaton has no dialogue whatsoever despite portraying the titular Solange, and the central figure in the mystery. That said, it is her otherworldly performance that engages the viewer through the final act when the revelations come to the fore. There are similarities in the depth of the performance given by Keaton, and by her fellow cast members, to those Dallamano will have observed while working with Leone on his spaghetti westerns, and this isn’t the latter’s only influence.

 

There are many memorable elements to Leone’s classic films, but music is what remains in audience’s minds long after the film is over. For Solange, Dallamano returned to what he knew best and brought Ennio Morricone in to compose the score. The sweeping, at times operatic, soundtrack contrasts with uncomfortably long periods of silence and adds further weight to the argument Solange is not just a standard giallo film. Less aggressive and involving an aural experience than more typical films of the genre, Solange is no less impactful as the stunning score is more innovatively cinematic than the electronic punctuation delivered by Goblin and the like. This is complemented by the masterful cinematography of Aristide Massaccesi – better known to cult movie fans as prolific filmmaker Joe D’Amato.

There is also a conscious nod to western audiences. To overcome the dubbing issue that was prevalent in many of his contemporary’s films, Dallamano had all his actors – regardless of their nationality – speak English. In doing so, he made it easier for later dubbing; allowing it to be more effortlessly matched to the lip movements and therefore instantly removed a barrier some audiences had always struggled with.

So is Solange a giallo film or not?

Well, in truth, yes.

Despite its origins in the German ‘krimi’ film movement (and being based on The Clue of the New Pin by legendary crime writer Edgar Wallace, who also wrote the first draft screenplay of the 1933 version of King Kong), and with the Berlin-based Rialto Film Company as a primary backer, Solange remains, fundamentally, an Italian film in spirit. The more expressive films from Argento and Fulci will always grab the attention what discussing giallo, and perhaps rightly so, but Solange offers something else. Not as wildly imaginative as Profondo Rosso (AKA Deep Red, which we covered in #419) perhaps, or as boldly convoluted as A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin certainly, Solange remains one of the most interesting of the period because of its differences rather than it similarities. If this is a film that has passed you by then now should be the time to rectify that.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE? is out on Blu-ray from ARROW VIDEO.

There are few superheroes who have changed as dramatically as Batman. From the early comedy days of Adam West up to fan-favourite Christian Bale and the sadly unforgettable George Clooney of Batman and Robin, the caped crusader has developed almost as quickly as his reliable Bat Mobile.

And in what will be a new era for Batman when Ben Affleck takes over for the Man of Steel sequel, it is likely we will see an even newer side to Bruce Wayne, something which is already being questioned by Gotham’s most loyal fans.

However the Argo star plays it though, it will be extremely difficult for the new movie to top the Dark Knight Franchise which ultimately made Batman cool and saw Christian Bale and Heath Ledger put in stunning performances, which saw the comic book pick up its first Oscar for Ledger’s supporting actor role.

Much darker than its predecessors The Dark Knight and follow up Dark Knight Rises have rightly been touted as the best Batman movies of all time. Seeing Bale return to Gotham for his second movie, Christopher Nolan’s narrative for the first time gives Bruce Wayne a conscience. A nature that every single one of us can relate to. Nolan made Batman real, and the Joker played that and in turn the audience’s sympathy at the same time.

You only have to look at the merchandise on offer to see its popularity. With everything from clothing to video games to even online casino games, the Gotham City billionaire has never been more popular, a far cry from Batman and Robin which bombed prior to the Nolan series.

Ranked amongst one of the worst superhero films of all time, the Dynamic Duo of George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell crash, splat, pow back down to earth with performances that are beyond cringe-worthy.

Perhaps a nod to the camp West and Ward days of the 60’s, the film goes beyond stupidity and collectively seems to include all of the actors’ worst performance in what is Empire magazine’s worst movie ever made.

The damage lasted almost ten years before Nolan rescued Bob Kane’s creation, and with the 43-year-old Brit involved with the Man of Steel story, the talent of him, Zack Snyder and Ben Affleck has the potential to be another blockbuster.

But whilst we sit in anticipation for where the new movie will head, or indeed the future of Batman, one thing is certain, the Dark Knight franchise, will take an awful lot to be surpassed.

The Doctor has always had an eclectic taste in fashion. However, Lovarzi has created some fantastic Doctor Who inspired products for the modern day Time Lord.

Fourth Doctor Knitted Tie

This smart tie is a great companion to a sharp suit or stylish shirt, wherever you go, whatever the weather. Just make sure you’ve got some jelly babies with you too. £24.99

Dalek Scarf (Available in Teal or Grey)

This exclusive scarf is ideal for keeping you warm in the snowy climes of Tranquil Repose, the Dalek Asylum – or even Earth! £36.99

Fourth Doctor Shortened Scarf

We think this is a brilliant idea. Want all the style and sophistication of Tom Baker without the hazardous length of his scarf? Here is a superbly made, two-meter long version. £24.99

Fourth Doctor Series 18 Burgundy Scarf

First seen in 1980’s The Leisure Hive, Tom Baker’s Doctor got a fresh new look for Series 18, his final set of stories. In this Burgundy Scarf, he battled vampires, his own spiky duplicate, Marshmen, and the Master; journeyed into E-Space; met some new friends – and relaxed on Brighton beach! £29.99

Seventh Doctor Silk Paisley Scarf

Worn by Sylvester McCoy from 1987’s Time and the Rani to the Classic series’ conclusion with 1989’s Survival, Lovarzi also offer the Seventh Doctor’s hankie, jumper and even his umbrella. £36.99

Fourth Doctor Full Length Scarf

Perfect for casual and hardcore fans, cosplayers and Christmas presents, this stunning Doctor Who Scarf is truly iconic. Worn by the Doctor from 1974 to 1981, now you, too, can battle Daleks, Cybermen and Sontarans in style! £49.99

All products available from www.lovarzi.co.uk.
Use discount code STARBURST10 to get 10% off all of their products. Hurry, offer valid for one month only!

According to actor Mark Ruffalo, there isn’t going to be any more Incredible Hulk slots coming to theaters any time soon.

Fans of Marvel Comic movies have been asking about a new Incredible Hulk film since Avengers was released. But after two Incredible Hulk movies that didn’t do so well at the box office, Avengers director Josh Whedon and Ruffalo (who took on the role as Hulk as Ed Norton’s replacement), felt they’d come up with a pretty winning formula to re-introduce the Incredible Hulk on film.

In the original Hulk story, Bruce Banner didn’t exactly enjoy being the Incredible Hulk. However, in Avengers, Banner enjoys turning into the green superhero. This significant change in Banner’s character made the Incredible Hulk one of the most noticeable stars in the Avengers movie. Hulk is a popular Marvel character with a wide range of merchandise and online slot games based around the character.

And it’s because of his popularity, why Marvel fans have been asking if there are plans for a new film in which the Incredible Hulk is the main character. Ruffalo has stated before that he enjoyed playing Hulk and would be open to doing a movie about the superhero. So, last year, speculation about a Hulk movie began to circulate. There was a rumour going around that a Planet Hulk adaptation was in the works. Planet Hulk is one of the main story lines from the Incredible Hulk comics and involves Hulk stuck on the other side of the galaxy. 

However, there hasn’t been any talk about the movie since then. And now, fans may finally have their answer. In a recent interview with Yahoo! Movies, Ruffalo had no problem discussing the subject of the possible Hulk film. He said that people were working on the movie, but it was pretty likely that fans shouldn’t get their hopes up. 

Apparently, the issue is that Universal, which has the Hulk film rights, isn’t likely in a hurry to release the movie. Disney and Marvel would likely be the companies to make the movie, but that may be pretty difficult since neither of these companies owns the rights completely. Universal used to have ownership of 100 percent of the movie rights, but after Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk movie (which didn’t do so well), that all changed. The professional relationship between Universal and Marvel has been strained ever since. 

Will there ever be another Incredible Hulk movie? It seems as though Marvel is interested in making one, which is good news to fans. After all, if Marvel can broker a deal with Sony so that Spider-Man could be part of the Marvel movie universe, there’s a good chance they can make something happen with a Hulk movie in the future as well. We’ll just have to wait and see!

With the third film released recently, and the appearance of the remake and sequel on British TV, we take a look at the updates of the controversial I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and ponder can cinema go too far?

When the remake of Meir Zarchi’s controversial 1978 classic I Spit on Your Grave was released in 2010, many fans were in outrage. The contentious subject wasn’t the only sticking point. Why touch something that has become as revered as it is reviled? Could the new filmmaker, Steven R. Monroe, manage to out-do the original in terms of terror and repulsion? Times have changed; attitudes towards the depiction of sexual abuse have changed, and quite rightly. So how could we accept such vile images on screen these days and still ‘enjoy’ the movies? It’s a difficult, complex ethical dilemma to ponder, and one that will probably never have a conclusive answer.

No matter how tastefully such actions are portrayed, there will also be a large majority of the audience repelled, and at the very least made to feel very uncomfortable. And quite right, too; there should be no-one who finds the rape, torture, and humiliation of another human being entertaining. Does that mean it shouldn’t be included in the film, though? These things do happen in real life already – shockingly, some cultures even appear to think it’s alright – and possibly, by showing how downright horrific it is could be just enough to make those who joke about such things think twice. Just as the 1978 film made the audience feel for protagonist Jennifer, the remake and its sequel put the viewer through the emotional wringer before we get to the more satisfying payoff.

Essentially a straight re-do of the original, the 2010 version sees Sarah Butler play author Jennifer Hills, who heads off to a lakeside cabin to begin writing her second novel. It’s here she falls foul of a group of locals who are so backwards they misinterpret her ‘fun’ attitude to be something much more flirty. She is horrifically gang raped, degraded, and left for dead. One member of the mob happens to be the local sheriff and have a wife and kids, something that makes his involvement even more abhorrent. Another new factor into the ordeal is the use of a video camera to make the humiliation more complete. It’s one of the major elements that prompted the BBFC to unsurprisingly cut the film on its release.

The original 1978 version had a well-publicised run-in with the UK censorship body (it was only later they became about classification) and is still unavailable in a fully intact form over here. The remake suffered forty-three seconds of cuts, while the second was shorn of twenty seconds short of two minutes of footage. However, it was pre-cut prior to submission after an unfinished version was seen by the board, and twenty-seven separate cuts recommended.

The revenge part of the remake is somewhat troublesome due to the tone. Following the unrelenting nastiness of the first half, Jennifer’s reprisal is almost in the vein of the Saw movies, with an increasing level of ‘cool’ kills and graphic gore. Just the sort of thing the horror fans want, right? The problem is it trivialises the violation that has gone before. 

I Spit on Your Grave 2 was a sequel no one really wanted. The remake managed to make money and stir up enough controversy while at the same time not be as completely offensive as expected, could a follow-up really add anything new to the scenario?

In this film, Jemma Dallender (best known for 2012’s low budget Brit horror Community and TV’s Hollyoaks) plays a model, Katie, who is advised to expand her portfolio with some new pictures in order to get more work. Going to one company who seem to be offering a good deal, she sensibly doesn’t fall into the sleazy trap of stripping off for the photographs, but in doing so starts a horrific chain of events that leads her to the metaphorical depths of hell.

One of the photography assistants appears at her apartment offering her the photos they did take for free. But of course, everything has a price. He forces himself upon her, and brutally overpowers her. Katie’s next door neighbour attempts to help after hearing her harrowing screams, but is stabbed and left to bleed to death on the floor of the living room; watching her being defiled and abused in his dying moments.

Katie’s ordeal has only just started, though, as his ‘brothers’ – the rest of the photography crew – arrive to clear up his mess (and an offhand comment suggests it’s not for the first time, either) and decide to drug her and take her away.

She awakes in a dank basement, with one of the men once again defiling her. The torment continues with torture, humiliation and some deeply distressing scenes. Even when she manages to escape things are bad. It turns out she has been taken to Budapest. The police officer who picks her up doesn’t appear to be as pro-active as you’d expect, and Katie just wants to leave; to go home.

She is picked up by a woman from a local shelter, and the police let Katie go with her; it’s another big mistake as she is in cahoots with the gang, and ends up back in the basement to have even more horrific things happen.

It’s by chance rather than design that she manages to escape once more, descending this time into the sewers of the city. It’s a metaphorical descent as well as literal, as she must attempt to survive in the squalid conditions, resorting to eating whatever wildlife she can find. She does find a (very convenient) route into a church through the cellar and is caught in the act of stealing some supplies. The priest is the first person she has met who actually treats her like a human, but she’s too far gone into a downward spiral that she barely acknowledges his offer of help. He does notice that she has left a Bible open – with one phrase standing out to the man of God: Vengeance in Mine.

As one would expect – and certainly hope – Katie has decided to take the law into her own hands and, in keeping with the films’ tradition, tracks down the team one by one to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible to the scum who violated her. Now, this should be the part of the movie in which the audience gets the payoff for the horrendously gruelling hour that has preceded it. Instead, the methods of revenge, while certainly nasty, are not really as horrible as we’d like them to be. These men deserve more than being left to die with festering wounds, being electrocuted with a cattle prod (something Katie herself had to endure) and being drown in a nightclub toilet – one that was full to the brim with the brown stuff… The real ‘nasty’ retribution comes when one of the crew has his knackers put in a vice, which is slowly (and explosively!) closed. While this is certainly the least they deserved, one would have expected something much more ghastly considering how much poor Katie went through.

Now, we’re not here to say that taking the law into your own hands is right, but vengeance is surely the reason these films exist, and we can’t as an audience be expected to allow such terrible acts committed on these women to go unpunished in a less than over the top way. We’ve had to sit through Katie getting the most appalling treatment, and perhaps we would expect the resulting carnage to be a little more fitting. Just as we mentioned the first film stylising the revenge aspect, by not going too far, it feels like a cop out. Have we really become that desensitised? 

Just released is the third in the series, and it surprisingly takes a different route. Sarah Butler returns as Jennifer Hills, in a new town and under a new name, Angela. Undergoing therapy still after the traumatic events, she fanaticises about hurting people all around her. She finally makes a friend in a support group, but when she is raped and killed, she once again takes the law into her own hands; “Justice isn’t something you receive, it’s something you dish out” she tells her shrink.

What’s different about the third film, subtitled Vengeance is Mine, is that the audience isn’t made to suffer through a disturbing and protracted abuse to get to the scenes of retaliation, although it’s clear how much suffering has gone on with the characters in the past, and almost every male introduced is a sleazeball ‘asking for it’. There’s one particular moment that is more graphic and eye-watering than anything that has gone before in any of the other films, and certainly makes the infamous bathtub scene in the ’78 version look like PG material (lest we forget, you don’t actually see anything in there).

It’s almost telling that the third instalment has been passed uncut by the BBFC. With no explicit sexual violence towards the women (the same can’t be said for the men, there are a couple of very nasty moments), it’s almost as though it was waved through. Without the motivation to be behind the avenging angel Angela/Jennifer, we should really be on her side. However, we are even though she’s a raging ball of anger and violence. We know what she – and the others – been through. So maybe we don’t need to see it depicted so graphically in the first place?

Movies have the power to make us feel uncomfortable, and face things we don’t want to, and by doing so, provoke a certain response. It’s important that they are allowed to carry on doing so, but we have to trust the filmmakers’ integrity when they present it to us. Exploitation cinema is built on films like I Spit on Your Grave. It should make us question why we watch them, but ultimately, it should make us want the actions to only be represented on the screen. Films such as these should be repulsive, because that’s what they depict. It’s up to us as viewing adults to choose if we can handle and process what we see in a right way.

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2 are screening on Horror Channel. I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 3: VENGEANCE IS MINE is out now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Whilst everyone is still gushing over JJ Abrams’ new ‘Star Wars’ movie we look ahead to one of the hotly anticipated releases of 2016. ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ is set to arrive on UK shores at the end of March next year and it’s already set to be one of the biggest team-ups in movie history. There’s plenty of things to look forward to in this special on-screen coming together of these iconic comic book characters and it’s going to be very interesting to see just how ‘300’ and ‘Man of Steel’ director Zack Snyder intends to set the tone.

Whilst Snyder’s ‘Man of Steel’ was a welcome upgrade to that of the rather humdrum effort from director Bryan Singer, with 2006’s ‘Superman Returns’, it still seemed a little lacklustre but here’s hoping that this new chapter will breathe more life into the comic to feature adaptation. And what’s more is that everybody’s favourite caped crusader will be taking a break from cleaning up the streets of Gotham to try and tackle this unpoliced superhero from another planet.

 

Christopher Nolan has already arguably created the perfect vision of ‘Batman’ movies with his impressive ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy which will be difficult to top. But since Christian Bale hung up the cape it was a battle for the cowl which was eventually passed over to none other than the career revived Ben Affleck. So it’ll be a fresh look, and possibly a fresh attitude from the caped crime fighter.

And talking of new faces it appears that there’ll be quite a few popping up in the new ‘Dawn of Justice’ movie. This includes the first appearance of Wonder Woman slash Diana Prince, played by the sexy Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Jesse Eisenberg on board to play Lex Luthor.

 

As with most movie mash-ups getting the right balance between both characters and their own special “worlds” will be particularly challenging and had it not been for the mega-success of Marvel’s Avengers movies perhaps this project may never have got off the ground in the first place. Frustratingly it is already been touted as possibly the best batman movie ever which is of course a ludicrous statement to be making at this stage. But the fans are obviously excited and we can only hope that it will deliver.

Lost Girl is a supernatural drama which focuses on the adventures of a sexy and kick-ass succubus. Bo discovers that she was adopted and that she’s really part of a race of supernatural beings called the Fae. Not only does she have to decide if she’s on the light or dark side of Fae world, she also must draw life force from others to survive. Here are eight things we love about the show.

1) It’s The Smartest Supernatural Drama on the Screen
Lost Girl is a smarter, more intricate show than the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural. The main characters are a supernatural bad-ass and her human friend. Bo is both an outsider and part of the community of monsters that makes up the show. The result is a drama filled with spooky things and drama.

2) Everyone is Oh So Pretty
For a world filled with werewolves, wizards, vampires and other creatures that go bump in the night (and we’ll get to the bumping in a moment), the one trait they all seem to share is that almost all of them look gorgeous on screen. What makes this even better is the various werewolves seem to spend most of their time shirtless.

3) The Sex
This is a series about a succubus who pretty much needs to have sex to survive. Luckily for her, she’s attracted to both men and women. It’s not all about Bo though; the series doesn’t shy away the wide variety of relationships that people have and there is a great selection of intimate activity going on all through the series. Not only that, but it stays sexy without being tacky.

4) The Emotional Drama
Even though they are plenty of fight scenes and occult mysteries to solve, Lost Girl is ultimately about how human being resolve relationships and conflict. The weirder elements simply add spice to what is essentially one of the most interesting soap operas out there.

5) Mysterious Wizards
Did we mention the world building? One of the main characters is a sarcastic dwarf called Trick who is pretty much neck deep in all the strange comings and goings of the Fae life. Part Dumbledore and part Sauron, Trick is the go to mentor for the heroes, and he spends much of the series slowly revealing to the audience more and more of this rich and complex world.

6) It is Flat Out Weird
From angry gay Brownies to werewolves chasing tennis balls, Lost Girl isn’t afraid to go completely nuts with our established ideas as to how supernatural stories should work. It rarely underestimates it’s audience, instead it gleefully takes us down one path with every intention of throwing us another curve ball later on.

7)  It’s Funny
From the strange takes on well-known tropes to the witty one-liners, Lost Girl outshines the likes of Buffy and The Librarians in terms of clever humour. It also tends to be crammed with pop-culture references and the usual meta-humour that we’ve come to demand. It also doesn’t hurt that Bo’s oh-so-human friend, Kenzi, is the perfect stand-up to Bo’s straight-laced routine.

8) Character Arcs
So, in addition to the soap-opera style drama, sex, jokes, weird twists, more sex and a very easy to look at cast, each of the characters actually develops and grow throughout the series. We actually care about the heroes and their world, which means that we keep watching.

LOST GIRL Season 5 is out now.

It’s regarded as a genuine classic of Italian cinema so let’s find out why as we take a look at DARIO ARGENTO’s PROFONDO ROSSO – DEEP RED…

In 1963, legendary Italian director Mario Bava released La ragazza che sapeva troppo (The Evil Eye). It was a mystery-fuelled romp of a film that twists and turns throughout in stark black and white. Bava’s next film, Sei donne per L’assassino (Blood and Black Lace), was considerably more important though. This was a film of outrageous colours with a sweeping, almost uncontrollable camera and stylised moments of brutal violence. Its significance comes from the genre it ushered in; a genre that would provide a creative outlet for the baroque imaginations of a select group of Italian filmmakers. Those films are renowned for cruel, often indulgent murders, exuberant colour palettes and a central mystery the director will do anything to cloak in a cape of convolution. Those films are rightly revered and respected. Those films are giallo, and the greatest exponent of the genre was Dario Argento.

After an early career penning screenplays for second rate spaghetti westerns Argento’s first contribution of note was to Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time in the West in 1968. Despite the success of that film, Argento’s interest lay more in horror-inflected thrillers pioneered by auteurs such as Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang. Heavily influenced by Bava, Argento’s début feature L’uccello dalle piume di cristallo (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) in 1970 stuck to the basic giallo template, but added a refreshing new dimension. Alongside the familiar tropes, the director introduced a cool paranoia mixed with a biting energy that was reflected in the bold sexual politics. It was with Profondo rosso (Deep Red) in 1975 that Argento really found his feet in the genre and also opened up a supernatural element that he would explore in several later films. It was also the film that would seal his place in history and is not only the director’s best work but the best of the giallo films.

After two fairly dull and poorly written attempts following his auspicious introduction, Argento seemed to undergo something of a cinematic transformation. Familiar giallo tropes exist in Profondo rosso, but Argento blends and distorts them with a newly found confidence as a filmmaker. After witnessing the brutal murder of one of his neighbours, British jazz musician and teacher Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) sets off on his own, rather bumbling investigation. Aided, or mostly not, by the formidable and sexually-forward journalist Gianni Brezzi (Argento regular Daria Nicolodi), Daly struggles to remember a key element from the murder scene that may unlock the mystery as he seeks the elusive masked killer.

With the introduction of the supernatural (the first victim we see was a psychic), Argento opens up a new aspect with which to further baffle and confuse his audience. Not only is there the unknown killer rampaging around mercilessly, but there is a now a noticeable foreshadowing to the crimes and an underlying feeling that is almost impossible to fully put your finger on. This sense of the unknown, of chaos existing behind the façade of normality is a key trait of Argento and is one that runs through many of the films that followed Profondo rosso. Many of the prominent giallo themes are here; the brutal murders, the prowling camera, the amateur investigator, but Argento allowed his creative side to run riot. This is a film of contrasting personas and beliefs, of supernatural precognition and of dark secrets. It is a film that showcased Argento’s decadent camera work, of wildly original fixed camera angles and sweeping, almost unsustainable, flourishes. The complex plot is peppered with a mystical eeriness that often presents more questions than it answers, but the intrigue that germinates while viewing is reflected in Daly’s own stunted investigation. Just like the central ‘hero’ you also feel you’re missing something blatantly obvious; and upon second viewing, as you wander around the first murder scene with Daly, you’ll realise how obvious that actually is.

 

Another example of Argento’s burgeoning understanding of his craft is in the foreshadowing of the murders. Each death follows a similarly-themed accident. Moments before a character meets their end in a bath of boiling water Daly scalds himself on a coffee machine. These indulgences and possibly inconsequential motifs serve to ground the murders, giving a sense of reality to crimes that would possibly have felt more distant if committed with knife or gun. We can all relate to how hot water feels on skin or how much a stubbed toe or a bruised eye can hurt, and when those incidental accidents are scaled up to murder they carry a deeper recognition and linger longer in the memory.

Repeat viewing of Profondo rosso rewards the viewer much more than any other of Argento’s works. Never has the director’s often hidden but slyly mischievous sense of humour been more prevalent than in this film. Despite the intricacies of the plot, the clues to the killer are all clear; if you know where to look that is. Not only is the ‘reveal’ evident in the first victim’s apartment, the story is full of clues and nods that are too easy to overlook while watching, but that are frustratingly obvious when you know how the film ends. The darkly sinister house that Daly explores looking for answers turns out to be full of what he seeks, but those answers are too often just out of the reach of the struggling sleuth, but offer intrigue and a knowing satisfaction when the film is viewed again.

Most of the films of the great giallo era are notable for their soundtracks and Profondo rosso contains one that is both typical of the genre but more sinisterly inflected and invasive than most. Regular collaborators Goblin created a jazz-rock blend of sound that perfectly contrast Argento’s striking visuals and a sound that not only compliments the film’s murderous intrigue but effectively adds to the supernatural atmosphere. Goblin’s unique style benefitted many of the best films of the giallo period but rarely did their throbbing music fit as perfectly as it does in Profondo rosso; just like one of the killer’s trademark leather gloves.

Profondo rosso is not only the most important entry in Argento’s filmography, it is the key entry in the giallo canon. There are other great films from one of the most productive periods of Italian cinema, but none quite reach the heights of Profondo rosso. Lucio Fulci’s Non si sevizia un paperino (Don’t Torture A Duckling) is significant for its rural, peasant setting that contradicts the urban beauty present in the majority of giallo films, and also for its sweeping score by Ennio Morricone. More famous, or possibly infamous, for his cannibal films Umberto Lenzi made several giallo films, but a trend towards more of a fun element was noticeable, and if wanton indulgence is your thing then Sergio Martino produced an interesting series of films, all of which were brutally shocking in places, but perhaps more superficial in style.

Dario Argento’s films offer something different that was rarely seen in the genre. His later work, particularly The Three Mothers Trilogy of Suspiria, Inferno and Tenebrae, all play around with the giallo style more than Profondo rosso but while beautifully horrific in their own right never quite match the energy and style of this predecessor. It is rare for a film to not only define a genre but an era in the way Profondo rosso does. This is a seminal work from a director who was never more inspired as he was in 1975.

The ARROW VIDEO release PROFONDO ROSSO is out now in a special edition 3-disc set – including the Director’s Cut (running 127mins) and a new 4K scan of the International Cut of DEEP RED (105mins), plus a plethora of extras including a soundtrack CD and featurettes.

We’ve covered controversial and banned films in the past, and attitudes change towards them all the time. Just think of the old ‘video nasty’ panic – many of those movies are now available in the UK fully uncut. What’s more remarkable is the amount of once-censored and contentious films that have appeared on UK TV. Lucio Fulci’s Zombie Flesh Eaters, Tobe Hooper’s seminal The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and even the Snuff, the re-titled schlock film that purported to have killed someone on screen has made it to Film 4. January will see UK’s Horror Channel celebrate even more ground-breaking screenings with their latest season of extreme cinema.

Although the third instalment was (finally) released this year, following a protracted distribution wrangle, the first two films of The Human Centipede series are still regarded as a test of one’s mettle when it comes to gruelling cinema. We celebrated the release of the third film by talking to director Tom Six and series stars Dieter Laser and Laurence R. Harvey, but with First Sequence and Full Sequence appearing on UK TV this January (the latter for the very first time), we figured now was a good a time as any to stitch together the importance of Six’s films in respect of keeping transgressive filmmaking both alive and, indeed, accessible and surprisingly commercial.

When Six released the first Centipede film in 2009, the buzz of the trailer and the premise sent horror fans into overdrive. This was an idea so sick and twisted that it just had to be seen! The anticipation was palpable, with some vocal repulsion voiced even before the film hit the screens. Six, of course, revelled in the controversy, and the First Sequence became an instant cult hit.

Although essentially it’s a simple ‘mad scientist’ plot, the depiction of the suffering and humiliation of the three unfortunate victims, abducted by Doctor Josef Heiter (Laser) and subjected to his gross medical experiment transcended almost everything that had been seen in cinema before.

The style of the film is as equally disturbing as the subject and visuals. As writer and director, Tom Six wove an engaging and sickening story into something at once fascinating and utterly unsettling. The setup is similar to a standard horror film. Two American tourists – Lindsay (Ashley C. Williams) and Jenny (Ashlynn Yennie) – are stranded on a deserted German lane when their rented car gets a puncture. Finding an isolated house, they ask for help to get the mechanics out. Unfortunately, they’ve happened upon the house of the not-so-good Doctor Heiter, a former surgeon who specialised in separating Siamese twins. Drugged and bound, they would have been better off taking up the salacious offer from the sleazy German who pulled up beside their stricken car! Another victim is a burly trucker who is captured early in the film, and is literally caught with his pants down as he’s pays nature’s call. Unfortunately for him, he’s not a match for the two ladies, so is ‘put down’, to be replaced by another, Katsuro (Akihiro Kitamura).

Doctor Heiter’s passion – and the reason he has the three captives – is to create a three-person living organism, essentially a centipede, all sharing the same digestive tract. To do this, he snaps the ligaments in the knees of the three, so that they will never be able to stand, and only be on all fours. Then he meticulously stitches their mouths to the anus of the person in front. Katsuro gets to be the ‘head’ of the centipede; bearing the weight, and despite his best attempts, he can’t hold things in for long and loses control of his bowels, causing the natural response from middle section – Lindsay, who was given that position as she had attempted to escape – and making Heiter shriek with glee “Feed her! Feed her!”

Heiter is actually a sensitive artist, as we discover when he cries with joy at his macabre creation. In fact, he still moans his earlier attempt, as we see at the start of the film when he sombrely looks at a photograph of a set of Rottweilers that had been stitched together. He is, of course, barking mad himself. His demeanour goes from reasoned to psychotic in the blink of an eye, and this is none more obvious when a pair of policemen come calling. He is almost provoking them to discover his secret; it’s a tense and fascinating sequence.

Which brings us to another quality of Tom Six’s film: it’s incredibly well made. No matter what one might think of the subject, it’s shot and executed in masterful fashion. We actually don’t have that much in the way of gore on show, really. Other than the depiction of the operation, in which teeth are removed and the buttocks of one of the victims are sliced open with two bloodied flaps revealed that will be stitched to the face of the unfortunate person behind and the odd bit of flesh wounds and the like, there’s no really graphic visceral horror.  That didn’t stop an outcry from ‘moral guardians’ and others when it was released, but that just cemented things in Tom Six’s head for the direction he wanted to go…

With all the controversy prompted by the first instalment, Six was certain that the sequel would have to be even more horrible, more outrageous, and definitely more offensive. He even made a funny teaser trailer saying as much when he introduced the new film’s star (albeit wearing a cardboard box on his head). In this short taster, Six is seen thinking to himself about how horrible people think he is, and that he must go further than anyone has ever done before. These words were actually spoken by the star of the film, unseen apart from the aforementioned boxed appearance, Laurence R. Harvey. “Too many people are saying it’s like My Little Pony” the voiceover says, before revealing the ‘sickest bastard ever’ in the shape of Harvey’s Martin.

Harvey had been a successful performance artist, and was actually a regular on UK Saturday morning children’s television at one point, but it was his casting as Martin Lomax, the constantly sweating and wheezing overweight antagonist of the second Centipede film that would catapult him to being a modern horror icon.
 

Perhaps what the most shocking aspect of the second film, Full Sequence, is the decision to make the story about a fan of the first film. Movies with a ‘meta’ aspect are not new, indeed the late Wes Craven’s Scream series made that almost a focal point. The characters knew that the films in the real world existed, and made constant reference to them. In the case of Martin, his point of reference is one film only: the first Human Centipede. He’s not so much a fan of the movie, as an obsessive. A troubled man, abused by his father as a child, and whose mother blames him for the parental figure leaving; he is completely absorbed by Six’s gory masterpiece. He watches it every day during his mundane job as a security guard in an underground parking lot. His scrapbook contains cuttings about the film and crude drawings of how he himself would create an even bigger centipede.

Naturally, not having the medical knowledge or indeed intelligence of Dr Heiter, Martin’s attempts at kidnap and surgery are crude to say the least. Although he is clever enough to pretend to be an agent for Quentin Tarantino in order to trick the first film’s original star Ashlynn Yennie to travel over and meet him in the hope of a big acting role. Unfortunately for her, her starring role will be take place in a grubby lock-up, as part of Martin’s makeshift centipede. Using gaffer tape, staples and a crowbar, he connects a series of victims – mostly people who have crossed him or disrespected him in some form – and gleefully enjoys the fruits of his labours. Until of course, they begin to fight back as a blow to the head as anaesthetic will only last so long.

This second movie would run into all kinds of problems with the BBFC. Originally, they banned it outright, even going so far as to post a spoiler-filled synopsis on their website with reasons why they couldn’t award a certificate. Six was livid, as were fans. We hadn’t really had a problem with censorship since the ‘bad old days’ of the video nasty. He eventually agreed to allow the film to be cut, and it’s this shortened version that exists in the UK now, unfortunately. Over two and a half minutes were cut, and although it in no way suffers – it’s still just as distressing and gruesome – it’s a shame that it can’t be enjoyed in its full gory glory.

And it is a fantastic film. Certainly not an easy movie to watch, but like First Sequence, it has a cinematic quality that makes it stunningly engaging. Whereas the first was impeccably filmed, the second has a true sense of sleaze and nastiness. By releasing it in black and white (a recent US box set actually includes a colour version for the first time), there’s a surreal quality to the events, which make the denouement all the more potent. It does take a very strong stomach and a rather warped sense of humour to fully appreciate it, though.

The third movie, Final Sequence, was released in 2015 after much wrangling with distributors. Again, it polarised audiences. Some saw the unique brilliance of Tom Six (it has even made it into the STARBURST Top 40 Films of the Year – see the last issue of STARBURST #420) while others dismissed it as offensive tosh. The correct answer to that dilemma is, of course, that it doesn’t matter who is right, as long as we have the right to choose to see it or not.

On the DVD release of the final film, there’s a brilliant unused climax that ties all the films together in a perfect circle, and it’s well worth checking out as it completes the series perfectly, even if it isn’t the ‘official’ ending.

If you haven’t seen the Human Centipede films and you have the stomach for them, give them a shot – but make sure you have an open mind.

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE FIRST SEQUENCE and FULL SEQUENCE are screening in January on Horror Channel SKY 319, Virgin 149, Freeview 70 or Freeview 138.