Watching In Search of a Midnight Kiss is a bit like tuning into an episode of The Crystal Maze and not being greeted by Richard O'Brien. It is fine, but it could have been a whole lot more; perhaps with the help of an eccentric bald genius at the helm, it could have been absolutely fascinating, but alas there is no such thing in the movie. What this movie does have however is a pair of emotionally drained and fragile characters that are at times brash, abrasive, sarcastic, bitter. Not all necessarily in that order right enough. It stars Scoot McNairy as a Wilson; a loveable loser type that is going through a rough patch in his life. Loveable is perhaps the wrong word to use here as Wilson is alone and miserable as the film begins. He is only encouraged by the few minute friends that surround him. As he reluctantly awakes from his slumber to place a personal ad on the internet, he manages to have his first bit of success just before the year is out.
Wilson meets Vivian; a beautifully looking young female that possesses a feisty personality matched with a tough, bold exterior played by Sara Simmonds. The character of Vivian is a perfect reflection of Los Angeles, the setting for this rough and gritty love story. However this is now where my mind begins to play tricks on me. There is something special about Sara Simmonds but I cannot quite place my finger on what it is yet. Her performance in this film is nothing outstanding; it won't be praised for years. But at points in the film you are given flashes of her quirky charm that are a delight to watch. On the other hand however there are points in the film that the character of Vivian becomes grating. I am going to give Ms Simmonds the benefit of the doubt here and put it down as a creaky script. This begins a recurring scar throughout the film, moments and pieces that are brilliant coupled with a number of scenes that just fall flat and run out of steam. Thankfully with some of the locations in Los Angeles being so radiant in the black and white imagery that fills the screen you can look elsewhere while a few of the scenes are played out. But the lacking scenes still nag in the back of your mind and constantly remind you that they are still there. Overly critical perhaps, but when a film is on the verge of being something fantastic it is becomes something frustrating. The film is worth watching, just don't going in expecting too much from it. It trundles along quite nicely and does what it says in the tin, or should that be title?
My Bloody Valentine 3-D begins when there is a cave-in at a mine trapping 5 miners for weeks, the only survivor is Harry Warden who survived by killing the other miners with his pick-axe. A year later he wakes up from his coma on Valentine's Day, killing everybody in sight and then goes back to the mines to kill some more. It then moves on 10 years and Warden returns once again to finish off the job in the mines ten years ago.
As a 3-D movie this was pretty good - the effects were great and the blood splatters and pick axes really did leap out of the screen at me and make me jump on many occasions. As a horror movie though, this was awful. The script was cheesy, dull and predictable, the acting was terrible - not once did I believe they were actually scared or emotionally hurt at all, the killings were generally all the same so did get boring pretty quickly and the whole thing was just plain ridiculous.
I know this is supposed to be just to show off the 3-D effects, so it was never going to be anything serious, but I'd expect for the price I paid to see this (nearly double the price of a normal cinema ticket) there would have been a little bit of excitement, suspense or at least a bit of fun. Instead this is one of the worst teen slashers I've seen in a long time. I'd stick to the Scream, Halloween and Friday the 13th if you're after a decent and fun slasher.
I thought at first that "MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D" was too scary for me. But then I opened my thoughts and changed my views about it. I think it is a very scary and phenomenal film with lots of great scenes! I would definitely recommend it to my family or friends. It has lots of great actors (Characters) and they do their job superbly! The 3D version is like being in the film yourself, it can make you move your head if you're trying to dodge a knife etc. I would only watch this film at night!
This is Woody Allen on autopilot. Jason Biggs plays a 21 year old with, it seems, enough life experience as an adult to fill ten years - an established career in writing comedy, two failed relationships and a prolonged commitment to analysis. Does this sound familiar? There are two engaging comic monsters - Danny de Vito's agent, and Allen's Dobel - but if there any real people in the script, they're harder to spot than the social realism in The Lord of the Rings. Yet again, Woody Allen has based a film around a surrogate version of himself.
Writing a list of things that are cool is pretty easy. Let's see - David Byrne, The Beatles and The Interceptor are just a few names that could be considered cool. And I would probably put Nick and Norah up there in the cool category to. But does that make it a good film, well let's find out shall we.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a coming of age tale that takes place over one night, with some romance and comedy thrown in for some laughs. In the similar vein of movies past like American Graffiti it stars a cast of young up and coming stars as the leads. In this instance it is Michael Cera; best known perhaps for his work in the film Juno and in the television show arrested Development. He plays the awkward nerd type character that seems to follow him wherever he goes now, however his love interest if you could correctly call her that is Kat Dennings; a feisty young female that I was impressed with and could see going onto big and greener pastures in the near future. A lot of praise has been forwarded in the direction of co-star Ari Graynor who plays the drunk and at times hilarious disgusting friend of Norah. However for me it was Kat Dennings as Norah that was the highlight. Having never seen much of her work before it was a pleasant surprise to see her perform in this little teen comedy.
As the title hints at, there is a strong emphasises on music throughout the film and the soundtrack that accompanies the film is pretty great. The particular highlight for me was a song from Devendra Banhart and the small but funny scene that followed. It is always great when a film introduces a new artist into your life that you have never heard that turns out to be thumbs up worthy. The plot of the film is alright, nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary that will set the aisles of the cinema or your living room alight. It is your typical romantic comedy fair with boy meets girl, boy talks to girl, boy likes girl, and you can pretty much take it from there and give a good guess at what the end may be. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Not every movie you sit down to watch needs to be earth shatteringly brilliant that it changes the whole way you look at life, sometimes you just want a film that can was over you and give you a couple of laughs and keep you entertained for however long it is. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist does just that.
Put down whatever you are doing and go purchase a copy of this film. It is breathtakingly brilliant and needs to be watched if you have any interest in film, or filmmaking for that matter. This film has a little bit of everything and is a brilliant reflection of the talent possessed by Federico Fellini. It has a dizzying plot the never lets the viewer rest. It has some fantastic pieces of music sewn into its very seams. Beautiful women that ooze class and sophistication mixed with some humour and a dash of the surreal, what more could you want from a film? Like many classic before and after it, it is tremendously difficult to add anything new to the discussion of such a renowned film. It seems as though all has been said and explored about the film, but I will try my hardest to draw forth an entertaining review.
This dream like trance of a movie sees Marcello Mastroianni star as Guido Anselmi; a creatively lacking Italian film director that has become almost paralysed by the pressures that surround him. From the marital strife to the crushing weight of the producers constant hounding of the advancement of Guido's next production, you are given a thorough glimpse into the turmoil faced by our protagonist. With this film you are firmly thrown into the deep side of the pool and basically left to sink or swim with it. What I mean by this is that nothing is really ever pointed out to you. You are left to your own devices as a viewer. What you take from it is complete up to you. If you choose to dig deep into the film and find whatever it is that gives you satisfaction then so be it. If on the other hand you wish to take the film as it is then that is perfectly fine, with such perfect performances from the entire cast who can blame you.
What is more remarkable is the fact that Fellini was not afraid to risk alienating an audience with this piece of work. It was a semi-autobiographical piece that I get the sense he chose to film in a way that suited him and not the audience of the film.
If it was released today it would have perhaps needed a few more explosions and perhaps a Christian Bale cameo to keep today's generation of cinema goers entertained. But thankfully Fellini stood firm and put what he wanted into the film, and for that we should all be gracious. In regards to films today, it would have been interesting to see what Fellini would have been able to produce with the advancements in cinema today. Would he be as rewarded or praised as he stands today? For me it has to be a yes. I believe his work if produce in today's culture would be even more intelligent and intricate than the ones he produced in his time. This review is moving into a complete different area of discussion, but that is the effect Fellini's 8 ½ has on you. It lingers deep in the subconscious and buries itself into your psyche. It gets you thinking about film in a new way once you view it. Your glitz and glam vision of film is tarnished and your eyes are opened to the sickly dark and grimacing grain that infests the land of cinema. Thankfully the positives of cinema are not stripped bare as there is a lasting glimpse of hope that hangs on, and it is more than welcomed.
I have already made it very clear in the beginning of my review on whether or not you should pick this up. It is very much an enthusiastic yes and it really does need to be watched by any aspiring filmmakers to show both the highs and lows you may face in a career in cinema.
Although "Watchmen" is a fairly faithful replication of the graphic novel, there are some key departures - sufficient to have led the author, Alan Moore, to repudiate the adaptation. For a film that doesn't shy away from sex and violence - the film earns its adult rating - it is unexpectedly squeamish when it comes to political correctness. Rorschach's neo-fascist sympathies have largely disappeared, as has Sally Jupiter's ambivalence toward the man who raped her. Nevertheless, the movie is still lively and complex enough to make an enjoyable view, and visually, the graphic images are much better realised in the film than they are in the book.
My Neighbor Totoro is a heart-warmingly majestic film that deserves to be seen by all, even if it is only once. As the two young girls befriend the spirits of the rural Japanese woods, you are powerless to resist its charm, with a smiling being the only option available. It is a story that has a bit of everything thrown into it. You have tremendous set pieces of adventure and exploration as the girls chase through the woods in search of a hidden Totoro lair. Sandwich between the adventure you are treated to bit size chunks of loveable humour from both the girls and the Totoro. The particular highlight comes when the two girls wait with the great Totoro creature as it waits for a bus. Very few lines of dialogue are spoken; however director Hayao Miyazaki has the audience gripped with intelligent actions between the girls and Totoro.
Hayao Miyazaki must be applauded for creating such an iconic creature, which has such a beautiful innocence to it coupled with a dark side that is intend to intrigue. I feel almost slightly foolish and naive by saying this, but you wanted to hang out with this creature. The whole situation is just joyous. The people that are encountered throughout the film are so kind hearted and warm that you just wish they would in some way be entered into your own life.
I would have perhaps liked to have watched the film in its native tongue as I only had access to the 2006 Disney English re-dubbed version. It never took away from the experience of the film; it may have made the experience that bit more pleasant as no subtitles needed to be read. But it is always a good thing to experience a film as the film makers intended to be seen. So another watch with the original Japanese audio is very much in order.
The artwork is nothing short of fantastic. There really are no strong powerful colours used in the film, but the pastel colours that are used are perfect in creating a sort of dream like environment. Running at just over an hour, the film is a breeze to watch and will hold the interest of children and adults alike. There are no real strong criticisms that stick out in my mind in regards to this film. Yes it would have been nice to see some more interactions with the Totoro, perhaps a little back story. But the fact that this was left out makes the whole magic and mystery surrounding the film so strong. For example, where does the Kittenbus come from? I have no idea, but it is just so delightful that I don't need an explanation for its existence.
It is easy to recommend this film. Buy it and love it. It stirs up a range of emotions that are only really matched in animations terms by Disney and Pixar. It may even surpass a few of those films found within the Disney and Pixar catalogues. As a fan of many films produced by Pixar and Disney that is a compliment of the highest order.
The film is set during the chaos of the frontier in pre-revolutionary America, with the introduction of the monetary system into a culture based on barter, coupled with the European Royalty and their avarice towards gaining territory.
The premise is the war between the English and the French, the settlers which were caught up in the middle of the conflict and the indigenous peoples conned into acquiesce.
Daniel Day Lewis gives a strong performance and the story is well adapted from the novel by James Feinmore Cooper (which is almost impossible to read).
The direction is excellent and the production makes full use of the impressive scenery. With authentic dialogue and props the story unfolds in traditional style, beginning middle, and end.
This work contains scenes of battle and is not advised for the young or very young.
This remarkable production epitomises the lengths a director will go to for the right shots, he makes use of the light available for brilliant shots.
The battle scenes are realistic and violent, lesser quality would demean the film. Frankly if you do not have this movie it should best be appreciated on widescreen to obtain the full effect. Enjoy...
Frontier drama/classic period/war/romance.
Santiago Munerez was born in Mexico. He was scouted to have a trial at Newcastle United but couldn't adapt well to playing in the Premier League. Fortunately he was recommended by Gavin Harris (a player for Newcastle United) and got in .But the suddenly his father who he did not have the best of relationships with died from a heart attack and he struggled to get over the colossal lost. Then he gets transferred to Real Madrid to play with stars such as David Beckham, Zinadine Zidane and Raul. Will the pressure get to him?
It can be difficult to beat an original, but Terminator 2 does it in style. It takes the original and improves it in almost every way, the visual effects are better and Arnie is just as good. This movie is more of an action film than the last one, which helps the franchise along.
Great cast, great stunts, great script - if the original was a classic, then this one is legendary!!!
Patience is both a Take That song and an asset you may require when watching this piece of film. If you posses such a discipline then you will be in for a beautiful, beautiful treat. For me isn't so much a piece of film as a piece of art. You know video art - You stare at a video screen and watch people, sorry I apologise, you watch artists do strange things with glass and their body. You can even spend an afternoon watching David Beckham have a sleep. Yes, that is what is passing as art these days, but The Fall has so much more to it than these pretentious examples given. It is clear that director Tarsem Singh loved this stored, cherished it as if it was his own child. Shooting took place over four years; shooting in locations all around the world, the cinematography is just breathtaking. Awe inspiring locations from India to reef's in India that at a glance will make your jaw drop. If you were to take a selection of stills from this movie and hang it upon your walls in whatever habit you graze, you would be greeted by a stunning piece of art whenever you walked into the room. However, where it excels in visuals it lacks ever so slightly in the script department. The dialogue at times results in one placing their index finger firmly between ones gripping teeth. Although it is nowhere near awful or crippling damaging to the film, it would have been a delight if it was more polished.
Guillermo del Toro could be used as the perfect example of using both stunning visuals and intricate dialogue to create masterpieces.
Pan's Labyrinth, The Devil's Backbone and Cronos were all lavish pieces of work. But they did not rely purely on the visuals; they all had majestic and at times mythical plots that were a joy to listen to. The Fall on the other hand had picture perfect visuals sewn up but was dragged down with a lacking script, a truly great shame, as so much care has been put into this project.
The acting from the majority of the cast was great. The young actress Catinca Untaru was spot on with her portrayal as Alexandria; a curious young girl with a broken arm that draws the story from our male lead - Roy Walker played by Lee Pace no catchphrases included unfortunately. For me, Pace was just ok in his role. He has been nominated in recent times for his portrayal of Ned in the short lived television show Pushing Daisies, so perhaps I was looking for that extra bit more from the actor which never really came through in this performance.
To say whether or not someone should buy this film is a gratingly difficult task. I can see for many that this film will come across as boring and drawn out. And to be honest I must agree with this mass, as the film could have done with being say twenty minutes shorter. However, the other half of my brain is telling me that this film is incredibly unique and deserves to be watched. My parting words of advice would be to give the trailer a good watch. Calculate in your brain whether or not you are prepared to give some time and that little bit of effort into looking past the minor flaws and staring into its beautiful veneer. I did so and was happy with my decision, hopefully a number of others out there choose to do the same...
If Almost Famous was a living breathing being, it would be Bender from the Breakfast Club. A guy from the outset that looks unbelievably cool and suave, but as you dig that little bit deeper you begin to reveal a darker side. All the while you have a fantastic soundtrack blaring in your ears as you carry out your dissection. Almost Famous boasts an array of stars and every single one of them plays their part to a tee with the director evening bathing in the glory of this film. Patrick Fugit plays William Miller an enthusiastic young rock journalist trying to succeed in the fickle world of the print media. On his journey to become an infamous Rolling Stone contributor he meets a vast range of the weird and wonderful. For example Kate Hudson enters into William's world as the eccentric goddess Penny Lane, a woman that just seems to turn every step she takes into a piece of beautiful abstract art. To be honest that makes no sense at all, but boy does it sound great and it sort of takes the form of something Penny Lane may say - Ridiculously obtuse would probably be the right description for it. Before moving on a thumbs up goes to the cast director on this particular character of Penny Lane. Perhaps he/she could have a word with the casting people responsible for Kate's role in Bride Wars.
Kate Hudson falls firmly in the stunningly cool female category if one should ever exist. She is certainly not a high flying prudish lawyer. But that is a different review altogether. The casting of Philip Seymour Hoffmann is also a delight. Hoffmann stars as rock journalist Lester Bangs, a pioneer back in his day, and a sort of oracle figure that has been sculptured out of nothing but rock and roll. His scenes are few and far between in the movie, but whenever Philip Seymour Hoffmann is on screen I always have a smile on my face. He could make watching wet paint an act of exhilarating joy even if the colour of the walls were Magnolia.
Back on point, and back on plot, the band Stillwater embrace William as one of their own and allow William access to all areas of their life on the road. And it is when the movie hits the road that things really begin to pick up. We are treated to a number of different sights and sounds of a touring band, from spats to sex, it is all on show. The film could have become overly gratuitous, however, Cameron Crowe has such a fantastic brain that he never lets the film go to these seedy depths. The film does showcase the dark and the grim sides of a touring rock band. The glamour and the glitz on stage are not reflected backstage as with many touring bands. This can be summed up in a number of scenes that are delicately placed throughout the film. Again I am not going to describe these scenes word for words as it spoils the whole film watching experience. Why anybody would want to purchase a film after being dictated the entire plot in all its bloodthirsty glory is beyond me so I will refrain from doing so. There is one scene however that is more than worth mentioning. It involves a certain Elton John song and a tour bus and that is all I am saying on that one.
I have usually ended my reviews with a statement of whether or not one should purchase the DVD. And I am not going to change for this review. This review gets the full star rating available for it, and with the help of this little site here you can get it at a ridiculously low price. Save up that little bit of cash and buy this DVD. Final note before closing would be to pick up the Untitled Directors Cut DVD. It is a two disk set packed with special features, but most importantly it contains both versions of the film. The theatre cut and as the DVD title suggests the Untitled Directors Cut of the film. The Directors cut adds roughly around 40 additional minutes of material and gives that puts that extra curl to your smile as you watch...
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Script & Special Effects.
The screenplay of this classic picture is fast pace, and it is full of exceptional special effects by Ray Harryhausen and this is when this 'classic' motion picture comes into its own with the creature called the Ymir and the chaos he creates on earth. It must be remembered that this classic motion picture was made long, long before the advent of computer generated images and relied of the skills and inventiveness of Ray Harryhausen and his team.
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'B' Picture Entertainment.
"20 Million Miles to Earth" is pure 'B' Picture entertainment, owing all of its success entirely to Harryhausen's stop motion animation with the Ymir. Persons such as Ray Harryhausen were skilful in their respective fields having learned their craft via long apprenterships in the motion picture film studios. "20 Million Miles To Earth" was made in glorious black and white because the budget was unable to cover the cost of shooting this motion picture in colour.
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Footage Utilised Previously.
The shots of galaxies and two planets seen during the opening credits sequence, are 'stock footage' taken from original motion picture:- "The Day The Earth Stood Still" (USA - 1951).
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Master Animator's Cameo Roles.
Master animator, Ray Harryhausen has two cameo roles in this motion picture:- as a man feeding peanuts to the elephant that later battles the Ymir. He did so because the actor scheduled to play the part didn't show up. He later appears in a crowd fleeing the zoo.
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The Ymir.
Though the creature is referred to as the Ymir in reviews and on various internet web sites, the actual name is never mentioned in the motion picture because Ray Harryhausen was concerned that audiences would mistake it for the Arabic title "Emir". The Ymir roars in the film are variations of elephant roars sped up and modulated in pitches at different rates.
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Recalled Seeing This 'Classic' In 'Sunday Cinema'
I recall seeing this film during 'Sunday Cinema' screenings, during the 1960's era in the former 'Astoria' cinema, West End, Terrace/ Bishop's Place, Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, South Wales.
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50th Anniversary Available On D.V.D.
"20 Million Miles To Earth" is now available on D.V.D. Region 1. & Region 2. From play.com. For value for money I suggest you purchase the Region 1. Special Anniversary Edition which contains a colorised version of this classic motion picture. This realised the dream of Ray Harryhausen, because, he had originally planned to shoot this motion picture in colour by the financial budget prevented him from doing so.
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"20 Million Miles To Earth"
(Columbia Pictures - USA - 1957)
Starring:
William Hopper - Joan Taylor
Thomas Browne Henry - Frank Puglia - John Zaremba
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Storyline:
An American spaceship returning to earth, after its first flight to and from the planet Venus, crashes in the Mediterranean, off the shore of a small Italian fishing village on the island of Sicily. Only one astronaut, the mission commander, Colonel Robert Caulder (William Hopper) survives, and he is tended to by Marisa Leonardo (Joan Taylor). Eventually, both local and American government officials show up on the scene to investigate the incident.
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Meanwhile:
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Pepe, a boy from the local fishing village - who dreams of earning 200 lire to buy a cowboy hat - recovers what turns out to be a strange egg, containing a specimen of an alien creature, which he promptly sells to Doctor Leonardo (Frank Puglia). The egg hatches and its content - the 'Ymir' - grows at a fantastic rate. The small creature grows rapidly and eventually attains a height of 20 feet. Eventually, it manages to escape and threatens the city of Rome forcing the military to take drastic action as it starts cutting a path of destruction through the streets of Rome before getting cornered on the top of the Coliseum.
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Brilliantly acted and directed film, I still remember nearly 40 years on...Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch at their best. The screen kiss between Finch & Murray Head brought gasps from the audience which shows how forward thinking and courageous (gay director) Schlesinger and popular Finch were at that time. It's a piece of gay history with fantastic screenplay and dialogue and deserves to be seen; a reminder of how things were not so long ago, and, thankfully, how things have changed.
Outstanding performances from the four main characters, and this film (unexpectedly) blew me away; I was riveted from the start. I am not a huge fan of Knightley or Miller but thought their sensitive portrayal of Vera and Caitlin carried this film. Although the story claims to be about Dylan Thomas, it developed around the two central women and how Thomas affected their relationship. It made me ponder, afterwards, how women and their friendships are so often sent into a tailspin over men.
London during the blitz was convincingly recreated, and there was a sense of people enjoying themselves but on a razor's edge... I was also deeply moved by the emotional minefield that many women faced, upon their husbands' return home from war; not to mention, for soldiers, the shock of returning home to domesticity and expectations that life could continue as before, despite the horrors they had since witnessed.
If you like a film that leaves you thinking, I'd recommend this one. A gem.
Really good film amazing story and a brilliant sequel to the first worth buying so do so!
A Decent horror film. Those haven't been around for a long time. Still the main thing in my opinion lies in the 3D. If you haven't seen a 3D movie before this is a nice opportunity to see one!
Verdict
Skilfully voiced, utterly charming and rib-tickilingly funny, Monster's Vs Aliens is great fun for all the family!
The evocative ident for HTV West gives way to arresting shots of standing stones accompanied by stark, angular, choral music. Immediately the attention is caught. This deliciously spooky and atmospheric drama features a pre-Blakes 7 Gareth Thomas as an astrophysicist who moves with his son to Milbury, an isolated village where the inhabitants seem oddly contented, greeting each other with a cheery "Happy Day!" They soon encounter strange phenomena somehow linked to a supernova, an ancient amulet, an enigmatic painting, and a nearby ring of standing stones. Finding allies in the museum curator and her daughter, the four try to resolve the mystery before themselves becoming unquestioningly happy.
The story has some recognizable antecedents: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (people being replaced by bland replicas), Children of the Damned (scary genius kids who think as one), The Prisoner (a village where almost everyone conforms and from which there is no escape), The Wicker Man (the survival of an ancient pagan cult), and even elements of The Bible and John Fowles' The Magus. But for all the familiarity this is a terrific yarn, executed with great skill. In fact, perhaps the most remarkable similarity is to the later Quatermass serial - so striking is it one can only wonder whether Nigel Kneale saw this before penning his script.
The script by Jeremy Burnham and Trevor Ray is literate and well-paced, employing a superficially credible scientific rationale, developing the eerie tale from cliffhanger to cliffhanger in the style familiar from Doctor Who. It is straight-faced in a way almost inconceivable now. There is a strong cast: Thomas is highly credible, and Peter Demin is excellent as his brainy son; Veronica Strong and Katharine Levy make a fine mother-and-daughter pair to complement them; and Ian Cuthbertson is suitably imperious as the mysterious patriarchal head of the community. The direction by Peter Graham Scott is largely understated, leading to a feeling of strange calm amongst the scariest of circumstances. The only flat note is Freddie Jones, who is a little tiresome as an all-too-familiar 'village idiot' who escapes turning into a happy inhabitant largely because he is a bit daft.
Perhaps the most significant contribution to the success of the drama is the music. Composed by Sidney Sager, it is almost entirely choral except for an acoustic guitar. It is strikingly modernistic, employing whispering, shouting, crying, howling, humming, and eerie re-iterations of the villagers' "Happy Day!" This avant-garde music is all the more remarkable for being applied to children's drama and anticipates by some years a somewhat similar approach for The Day of the Triffids. The choral idea carries through into the story itself, with scenes of massed villagers standing in a circle, hands linked, intoning wordlessly to the heavens. The impression of witnessing some primeval pagan rite is quite extraordinary.
The serial comes from the time when it was customary to shoot interiors on videotape and locations on film. Unfortunately the mismatch in stock is very obvious as the film is evidently 16mm: thus exteriors have good colour but a graininess, interiors are sharp but anaemic. However, the complete absence of kinetic camera work is very refreshing seen from our 21st Century perspective, where the camera cannot stay still for a second. Another weakness is very apparent from DVD viewing: the cliffhanger overlaps from episode to episode are way too long; with a lengthy title sequence, each episode has no more than 20 minutes of story.
But the biggest weakness is the setting. Milbury is Avebury and even in the '70s Avebury was a popular place. The aerial shots show clearly that, far from being an isolated community, there is a main road going through the centre. There should be a veritable stream of tourists passing through. It makes little sense that this supposed community of 55 is portrayed as cut off and insular, newcomers sticking out. Given the number of megaliths and stone circles this country has it seems just a little foolish to shoot in what is probably the most-visited UK site of its type after Stonehenge.
The extras include two revealing interviews with Thomas and Scott. Thomas alludes to mysterious events which occurred during shooting (shades of The Omen) and an hilarious encounter between some American tourists and a standing stone which wasn't as old as it appeared.
Despite weaknesses, Children of the Stones is the best type of children's drama: imaginative, thought-provoking, and uncondescending.
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