So I watched 1960's "Village of the Damned" last night. It was only 1:17, so pretty fast watch. But they didn't rush stuff -- they took their time. It actually was more intense than I expected. (Hmmm, I find myself saying this more and more lately, watching older films. Maybe I need to recalibrate my expectations for 50+ year old films.)
Like, okay, I was expect everything to be glossed over and the violence to be laughable. But no. There's an early scene where an innocent dies because someone else screws up. And then the children actually murder a few individuals, one in a pretty horrific way reminiscent of heavy metal druggie suicides. The difference is that you don't see the gory aftermath (you just see reactions to it), but wow -- I mean, there was some actual "holy...!" moments here.
The one thing I didn't like was the "father" of David, who was also a lead scientist. They only explore the scientific end -- he vies for David's (and the others') lives because of the scientific breakthroughs that occur, where the opposition is all about, "safety first!". I was like, "good grief, man... what about the fact he's your kid?" I mean, the kids age quickly, but still you would grow attached normally to someone who you've had to care for for a few years and gotten to know.
Anyway, aside from shying away from the complexity of parental love, it was more complex and harrowing than I expected.
And since I got that done early in the day, I ended up treating myself to a freebie last night -- "Angel Heart" directed by Alan Parker, starring Mickey Rourke. It's a flawed movie, sure (the script needed a bit more ironing out near the end, it's easy to get a little confused about the back story), and I wish they'd CGI the eyes to make them look less clunky (it's just a tweak, man)... but I love how this movie makes me feel... sad, nostalgic, horrific, gut-punched, grimy, creepy-crawly. it's saturated in tone and mood. Mickey Rourke looks like he was peeled off a dirty NYC sewer grate, yet you still empathize with him, which is extremely important for this film.
I'm glad to see that it's become something of a cult favorite, after getting somewhat panned during initial release. In fact, it often makes some 'best of" lists now. If you haven't seen it, it's a crazy watch, before I even consider the multiple murders....
Anyway, if you can stomach the blood and the voodoo and you're into "mood" flicks, highly recommended. Also keep an eye out on all symbolism, certain imagery keeps appearing.
man you are a masochist.
(save me some armadillo cake.)