Tuesday 5 November 2024

REVIEW: The Substance

Having not had a chance to see it in the cinema but intrigued by the hype, I've signed up to Mubi specifically to watch Coralie Fargeat's The Substance. While the film has been out for a while, I'll try to be reasonably light on the SPOILERS here, but if you plan to see The Substance, I'd recommend watching it with as little foreknowledge as possible.

While I'm not as blown away by The Substance as some have been, it's undoubtedly an extremely powerful film, an evocative and lurid dissection of the cruelty of our shallow society. I am certain that a woman watching it would find it even more so, as while men are also subject to society's skin-deep judgment, it is women who must deal with it day in, day out. Nonetheless, it is interesting that the one other user of the Substance we meet in the film is a man, when the rest of the focus is so squarely on women.

The Substance is a thematically dense film, most obviously satirising the cut-throat world of Hollywood and its relentless exploitation of young performers. It also takes on themes of the cruelty and inevitability of ageing; parent-child rivalry; elder abuse; self-loathing and depression; self harm; cosmetic surgery; substance (small 's') abuse and addiction; the nature of beauty; society's reaction to disfigurement; the nature of identity, and more. Fargeat's direction is eccentric, exaggerating shots with extreme close-ups that magnify the grotesqueness of human life, yet this is shown to be, if not better, then at least more real than sanitised, airbrushed fakery.

Of course, she also delivers a stunning level of gore and revolting body horror, realised largely with practical effects – far more viscerally effective than endless CGI. (Although one of the most disturbing images of the film, the replication of eyes within eyes as the beginning of the Substance's process, is a brilliant bit of digital wizardry.) It's no surprise that Calgeat is a fan of David Cronenberg, in particular his masterpiece, The Fly; some moments are lifted directly from that film. More pertinent, though, is the shared use of extreme mutilation and deformation as a metaphor for disease and the ageing process. Like The Fly, The Substance is quite restrained in its use of gore and monstrosity, increasing it until the climactic and over-the-top finale. I'm informed that the film is equally indebted to Demi Moore's previous film, Requiem for a Dream; I've never seen that film, but I know enough about it to see that it shares with the The Substance a gruesome and uncompromising look at addiction and its effects on the mind and body.



You have to admire Moore for taking on such as role as Elisabeth, as someone who has been ridiculed for her own response to ageing, including not insubstantial cosmetic surgery, and having gone from the highest-paid actress in the world to someone whose career was largely considered to be over. Moore is astonishingly good in this, giving a painfully real and understandable performance as Elisabeth engages on her path of self-destruction. She has spoken of her discomfort in performing naked in the film, now that she is in her sixties (more than ten years older than her character), but, of course, she still looks incredible – which is, naturally, what the film is all about.

Even the remarkably beautiful Margaret Qualley isn't good enough for the perfection that Sue, Elisabeth's alter ego, represents, wearing false breasts for her own nude scenes. Qualley gives an equally strong performance, embodying Sue with a shallowness and cruelty that she hides beneath a marketable personality of naivete and Apple Pie Americanism. It's fascinating to watch Elisabeth's downward spiral reflected, and largely caused, by Sue's increasingly brutal treatment of her. Equally fascinating is Elisabeth and Sue's gradual emergence as separate identities, even though they are simply facets of the same person. When they finally separate, the event that kicks off their final descent into self-destruction, they are inevitably fused again, in the most horrific of ways imaginable.

Qualley, though, doesn't actually look particularly like Moore, which only serves to make the divide stronger and Elisabeth's story sadder. Sue presumably represents an idealised self-image; the person Elisabeth always believed she could be. That Sue instantly becomes a runaway success only furthers Elisabeth's feelings of inadequacy and low self-image. Elisabeth's binge-eating (judging by the amount of meat and eggs, largely driven by a need for copious amounts of protein to replace what was lost in Sue's “birth” and “weaning”) is a clear sign of her self-hatred. This manifests more blatantly in her rapid ageing and disfigurement as Sue's selfishly extends her own time, as well as both versions' increasingly vicious treatment of one another. (Never mind the events towards the end; the fact that neither aspect ever decides to put something down on the world's hardest bathroom floor for the bodyswap moments speaks volumes.)

The film comes close to being a two-hander, but it's impossible to overlook Dennis Quaid's performance as the loathsome Harvey. Also worth noting is Edward Hamilton Clark's performance as hopeful suitor Fred. Even though Fred seems a decent enough guy, both men are portrayed as physically off-putting – Fred with his yellowing teeth, Harvey with his shameless face-stuffing and constant shouting – yet they face no recrimination for their flawed, ageing appearances.



It's an intensely visual film, using colour, harsh lighting and extreme camera work to disorienting effect. Everything is extreme here, be it monstrously ugly or aggressively beautiful. Sue's “Call On Me” channelling erotic workout show is a case in point: relentlessly sexy but again using extreme close-ups to push this beyond its limits. Nonetheless, Qualley is incredibly hot in these scenes, forcing the viewer to become complicit in the sexualisation and exploitation of her character.

In reality, though, Qualley found filming these scenes traumatic, and could only bring herself to do them while high. Given that both she and Moore were injured somewhat by make-up and prosthetics, and that even Quaid almost made himself sick by devouring kilos of shrimp, it raises the question of when the depiction of exploitation becomes exploitation in itself.

Where the film falls down, unfortunately, is in the final act, which takes things too far into delirious horror. While there's some uncertainty as to how much we see is real and how much is hallucination, it seems we're meant to view the final, brutal events as actually happening. While it's certainly climactic, the final phase of Elisabeth and Sue's “treatment” and its aftermath takes the body horror into the absurd. Ultimately, it's too much, and sits poorly with the rest of the film, as heightened as it all is. It's a shame, as there were undoubtedly ways to complete the story in a similar fashion without going so ludicrously over-the-top. Still, even in this phase, the film is rife with blatant, in-your-face symbolism, almost screaming “Look at this! I dare you!”

Even as it pushes things too far in its final scenes, The Substance is one of the most powerfully satirical – if entirely unsubtle – films in years; a horror movie that relentlessly attacks its own industry and makes the audience question themselves for watching it.

Monday 28 October 2024

Hallowe'en at Television Heaven

It's spooky season, so it's time to review some classic chillers (because the rest of the year I don't watch monsters and ghosts and things, not at all).

Pop along to Television Heaven for new reviews on the ingenious horror spoof Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, the most terrifying part of which is that it's somehow now twenty years old; the Frankensteinian hammy horror of 1970s Doctor Who serial The Brain of Morbius; and, the Hammer movie Quatermass and the Pit (aka Five Million Years to Earth), featuring perhaps the very best version of the good Professor. 

Plus, Mark Turner-Box reviews the 1979 miniseries of Stephen King's Salem's Lot, while Malcolm Alexander examines the more recent horror series The Enfield Haunting.

Enjoy an array of Martians, monsters, vampires, ghosts, apemen and invasive broccoli.

Sunday 29 September 2024

REVIEW: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice


In the age of the resurrected franchise, the Beetlejuice sequel has finally clawed its way out of Development Hell and into whatever passes for reality these days. It's something that we've said about a lot of movies lately, but this really is a film that didn't need to happen. Still, that doesn't mean it isn't a lot of fun.

Decades of cancellations and delays spared us from Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian and other questionable sequel ideas. The fact that 36 years have passed since the original Beetlejuice means that the new movie has a clear basis for a story, able to explore how the characters of the original have developed and to exposea new generation to the utterly bizarre world that Tim Burton created. Or, to put it another way, to see how this stuff holds up with fans of the original beyond pure nostalgia, and whether kids today will lap it up the way their parents did.

Of course, while we have Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara all returning to their roles behind or in front of the camera, not everyone involved in the original was able to be involved, or indeed welcome. There's no sign of Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin (too old); Glenn Shadix (too dead); or Jeffrey Jones (too nonce). While the Maitlands are mentioned often, their absence is dealt with in a single throwaway line; still, better that than using yet more CGI de-aging to make Davis and Baldwin resemble their younger selves, as ageless ghosts should. Richard Deetz, on the other hand, is surprisingly embraced by the film, which is both decent and hilarious. Jones may be persona non grata, but his character is still a good guy and loved by his family, with the actor's absense being lampshaded through the use of an impersonation, stop-motion animation and, finally, just removing the character's head.

Keaton has aged as well, of course, but given how much make-up he was under as Beetlejuice (or Betelgeuse if you're old school) it doesn't matter so much. Hell, they probably had to use less make-up this time round. He steps back into the role like he never left, and is clearly having a whale of a time. He's used sparingly, which is wise; too much and he'd overwhelm the story, and his schtick would get tiresome.

Winona Ryder remains central, and so she should; Lydia was the heroine of the original (and, I'm pretty sure, my first screen crush, so I may have a biased interest here). Her character is well written, and she performs it beautifully: still the same quirky goth from 1988, but weighed down by the intervening years' strife and the trauma of her first brush with Beetlejuice. It's good to see that she's closer to her father and stepmother, and is now experiencing the same treatment from her own daughter. Having her present a show about her ghostly encounters is perfect; it's just a shame that creep Rory is dragging her down. Lydia grows considerably during the course of the film, taking back control of her life and even facing Beetlejuice without fear when she knew he was the only one who could help her daughter.

Catherine O'Hara is just as brilliant as ever, giving us an older, wiser, not quite as volatile Delia. The new cast are all pretty excellent. Jenna Ortega is perhaps too obvious casting for the next generation of pretty, sulky goth teen, but she's spot on as Astrid, undergoing her own growth and being a likeable character even as she infuriates with her dismissal of her mother. Justin Theroux is brilliant as the instantly-hateable Rory, a character you just can't wait to see get his comeuppance. (Nice of the writers to name a heroine after my daughter and a villain after my dog, by the way.) Arthur Conti, a virtual unknown, is excellent as the charming yet underhanded Jeremy, Astrid's love interest. He's definitely at the beginning of a stellar career.

Among the side characters, Willem Dafoe is predictably brilliant as actor-turned-ghost-turned-cop Wolf Jackson, and Burn Gorman is hilarious as the heavy-drinking, scripture-babbling Father Damien. Monica Bellucci, though, is sorely underused. She looks incredible as Delores, Beetlejuice's ex-wife/widow(?) and the sexiest zombie since Liv Moore, but she's scarcely in it and is more of a plot contrivance than a character. Bellucci deserves more than that. Still, her existence does explain that ring-bearing finger in Beetlejuice's pocket in the original (he must have put it back with the rest of her between films). There are a couple of fun cameos too, which are probably best left unspoiled.

So, we have a great cast performing some strong material. Unfortunately, the film itself is pretty incoherent. There's some great material in here, with some truly surreal moments, but the plot is convoluted and often breaks down into a series of sketches than a solid story, none of them funny enough to justify this approach. With multiple antagonists running around and continual twists and revelations, things never get boring, although the Big Twist that kicks off the endgame is howlingly obvious. 

I dread to say it, though, but Beetlejuice itself wasn't that great a film. It's a cult classic, it's utterly unique (until now, at least) and those who watched it around the right age adore it, but it's objectively an indulgent mess. So it's not a surprise that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is too. That doesn't mean I didn't have a great time watching it; it's got everything you could really want from a Beetlejuice sequel, evne if that means you know pretty much exactly what you're getting. (You love sandworms? I love sandworms!) It suffers, like a lot of modern films, from a trailer that paints something of a false picture (at least one joke falls flat, largely because a much better version was used in the trailer), but even so, you know what to expect going in. Judging by the stellar performance its had in the box office, that's precisely what audiences want. 

Which is a good thing, because it's now inevitable that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be along in short order. Will it be good? Just like this, objectively not. But who cares when it's this much fun?

Sunday 22 September 2024

REVIEW: Space Dandy Picture Dramas



So it turns out there's a whole bunch of extra Space Dandy eps I never knew about! The Space Dandy Picture Dramas are short-form mini-episodes with simplified animation - more like motion comics. There are only five of them and mostly clock in at under ten minutes, so it works out as equivalent to roughly two proper episodes. These were apparently only ever made available on the Japanese complete series Blu-Ray release, so know wonder I hadn't heard of them.

Fortunately, some lovely person has uploaded them to a playlist on YouTube so we can all enjoy them. Naturally, these are only in Japanese, which is a shame as I adore the English dub performances, but there are subtitles on all of them. A wonderful Tumblr-er called "futuristic-roomba" (that's QT, right?) posted about them, and I've taken the titles from her post, even if they are apparently a bit questionable. Although I've Dandied them up a bit!

They're a mixed bunch and I've written my brief thoughts below. If you want to avoid spoilers, go click on the link above and watch them first.


1. BooBies Pair Adventure, Baby!

This short is a great start to the little series, although it's an oddity in that Dandy is barely in it, showing up for a few seconds at the end (he's been rendered indisposed by a bad case of the trots). This instead focuses on Meow and QT on their own adventure with Honey and Candy. If you don't remember Candy, don't feel bad; she's barely been in it before, briefly appearing in ep. 1-2, “The Search for the Phantom Space Ramen, Baby." She's fun though; I like her just as much as Honey and she has cute hair,

This is good fun. It's close to the standard art style of the series, just with less animation, which is an easy way in but makes it visually less interesting than the other shorts. Seeing two BooBies waitresses trying to become alien hunters is an entertaining way to spend nine minutes, especially as they seem to be completely amoral. (Judging by what we've seen over the series, Dandy and co. are probably the most ethical alien hunters out there.)

I Know This Planet, Baby: Planet Daga is an unreal world where anything you imagine becomes reality - but only within the space of the planet.

2. It's a Launderette from Hell, Baby! 

This is my favourite of the five shorts. The art style is appealing, a sketchbook style with dark, moody hues, which suits the story and the still-art nature of the shorts. This is a full-on Dandy heavy adventure, showing him at his most heroic as he rescues the Ugglies from indentured servitude. It's a pretty serious one, really, dealing as it does with people trafficking and modern slavery. I do love the idea that every launderette/laundromat in the universe links to this one planet and everything is actually washed by hand.

We're Alien Hunters, Baby: The Ugglies are rotund, fish-faced creatures with huge lips and teeth. They come from the Planet Uggly (pronounced to sound like "kiss" which clearly only works in Japanese). They can't write but they can sure fight.


3. Cheerful Wake Me Up, Baby! 

Another great little episode, a QT-focused one which works as a follow-up to 1-13, "Even Vacuum Cleaners Fall in Love, Baby." It gives an insight into QT's existence, as part of a mass-produced line of robots that are visually indistinguishable and can be disposed of and replaced on a whim. It's really the second short in a row that deals with a form of slavery, but none of it gets heavy. 

It's pretty heartwarming, with QT showing how he's grown as an individual and starting to inspire his fellow hoovers, and Dandy showing that he can recognise him and values him. They're a crew, even if they spend most of the time bitching at each other. Nice, drawn-style artwork here, simple and colourful, which suits the story.

4. The Road to Debut is Harsh, Baby! 


I didn't like this one. I don't know, maybe I'm missing the point of it, but it just isn't very interesting or fun. The sloppy, hand-drawn, felt-tip artwork is a big step-down from the others. It's something different and makes this short stand out, but it just doesn't look good.

This one isn't really a Space Dandy story at all, more of a background story. It's all very meta, with Tohn Jravolta auditioning for a role in the series. He's just an ordinary looking guy here, nothing like the Jravolta in 2-9, "We're All Fools, So Let's All Dance, Baby." That guy was a gold-skinned, almost mechanical-looking alien. I guess that's him in costume, and underneath it is this guy. Regardless, this is pretty boring. I assumed the judging panel would turn out to be Dandy and co. but they're actually a bunch of dogs.

5. Let's Take a Bath Again, Baby!


Easily the most meta of them all, and given this is Space Dandy we're talking about, that's meta indeed. Set right after the final episode of the series, in which, lest we forget, the universe ended. Is this the new universe 14.8 billion years later, when we've come full circle? Seems unlikely, as everyone remembers what happened in the finale. 

Of course, that's a pointless question, when the characters are sitting around discussing the show. Incorporating the fourth short as well, we have fictional characters auditioning to play fictional characters, who then sit around discussing their fiction, in character.

Bringing back Space Trucker Dandy and Lady Meow is a nice touch, as they were the most Dandy-ish of the alternative versions appearing in 2-1, "I Can't be the Only One, Baby." I could've done without meeting Manga Hero Dandy again, though. He's just as annoying as ever, and turns out to be really rapey as well. At least he's seen off by the others. This short is a lot of fun, with a really effective artstyle, and makes for a nice final ending to the Dandyverse.

I Know This Planet, Baby: From the look of the plants and the moon in the sky, we might finally be seeing Dandy on Earth.

Friday 20 September 2024

Important! Please help my friend in dire need of housing support

Cat for attention

My friend Rosie has started a GoFundMe campaign to try to raise money to help our mutual friend B.

B is disabled, fleeing a violent home and has been rendered effectively homeless after years of housing problems. 

I realise that everyone is skint and that there are a lot of crowdfund campaigns for people in need, but if you do happen to have a few quid to spare, please consider donating it to B's fund. It really could make all the difference. If we share this widely enough and enough people donate, we can raise enough to get her housed safely, and that could honestly be the difference between life and death for her.

Seriously, B is amazing but she has been royally screwed over by people and the system. She needs our help.

More details at the link.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/my-friend-n-a-homeless-disabled-woman-who-has-fled-violence

Thank you