The Straight Story - Cult Film Review (and Some Thoughts on Entropy and Mortality)

The death of David Lynch affected me deeply. I have been a huge fan of his work and I found his Art Life philosophy quite singular and unique. There are some scenes from his ouvré that will remain indelibly linked with my personal history, especially the formative Twin Peaks.

However, Lynch's The Straight Story stands out as a unique entry in his filmography, diverging sharply from the surreal and often disturbing imagery that defines much of his work. This quiet, almost meditative road movie chronicles the remarkable journey of Alvin Straight, an elderly man who, propelled by a desire to reconcile with his estranged brother, undertakes a 240-mile trek on a riding lawnmower.

Beneath its seemingly simple premise, the film delves into profound themes, most notably that of mortality. Alvin, contending with a heart condition and the physical limitations of old age, directly confronts his own impending death. His arduous journey becomes a powerful metaphor for life's ultimate passage, a slow and deliberate progression toward an unknown destination.

Lynch, with an uncharacteristic gentleness, beautifully captures the expansive American Midwest. He highlights the sheer vastness of the landscape, underscoring the delicate insignificance of human existence within its grand scale. The film's pervasive peace, punctuated by the rhythmic chugging of the lawnmower, creates an atmosphere conducive to deep contemplation and introspection.

The Straight Story serves as a poignant reminder of the vital importance of human connection and the enduring strength of love and forgiveness, even when faced with the inevitability of death. It is a film that resonates long after viewing, a quiet yet powerful testament to the beauty and inherent fragility of life.

Angelo Badalamenti's score is a significant element, beautifully weaving through a spectrum of emotions, including a deep sense of yearning, which perfectly complements the film's reflective tone. The episodic encounters Alvin has with various individuals along his journey lend themselves to a comparison with Forrest Gump, positioning The Straight Story as a more introspective, ‘thinking man's’ version of that film, where the meetings serve as opportunities for reflection and quiet human connection rather than broad societal commentary.

The overall message is that life is fleeting; there's so much we'll never fully grasp in our brief time here. We simply have to accept that some mysteries will remain unsolved in our lifetime yet, with a little insight, we might just unravel a few before we shuffle off this mortal coil. But, the present moment, in its purest form, truly is a gift—one we should acknowledge and appreciate as well as those around us before it is too late.

LINK- Reflections on Twin Peaks: The Return

LINK- Twin Peaks Retrospective

LINK- Twin Peaks: The Return Series Review

LINK- Secret History of Twin Peaks: Book Review

LINK- Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier Book Review

The King and the Mockingbird - Cult Film Review (and links to Ico)

Paul Grimault's The King and the Mockingbird endured a tumultuous production, finally gracing screens in its completed form in 1979 after decades of legal battles and studio interference. While I had never before experienced this film, its formidable reputation preceded it. Its influence has echoed through animation history, most notably in the works of Studio Ghibli's luminaries, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, both of whom readily acknowledge it as a key inspiration. Intriguingly, its tendrils of inspiration have also stretched into the realm of video games, particularly the evocative and emotionally resonant experience of Fumito Ueda's Ico, which, in turn, provided a spark for Hidetaka Miyazaki's Dark Souls series.

The narrative, a loose adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep, unfolds in the tyrannical kingdom of Takicardia, ruled by the grotesque and insecure King Charles V + III = VIII = XVI. His towering, multi-layered palace, which serves as a character in itself, sets the stage for a whimsical yet poignant tale of forbidden love between a charming chimney sweep and a beautiful shepherdess, both escaping from their painted portraits. Their flight from the King's clutches, aided by the sardonic and wise Mockingbird, who also acts as a raconteur and narrator, takes them through the bizarre and often menacing levels of the palace and the sprawling city below.

What makes The King and the Mockingbird so enduring is its unique blend of visual poetry and thematic depth. The animation is fluid and expressive, shifting seamlessly between moments of slapstick comedy and breathtaking beauty. The architectural designs, inspired by the works of Gérard Trignac mixed with the Parisian and Venetian influences of artists like de Chirico and Magritte, create a sense of otherworldly grandeur and underlying unease. This very atmosphere, where the familiar is twisted into something dreamlike and slightly unsettling, finds a clear echo in the world of Ico. The connection is not in direct plot points but in the shared atmosphere and visual language. There are many parallels including:

  • the towering architecture acting as a character; King Charles's colossal palace dominating Takicardia and the enigmatic castle in Ico serving as a central, almost sentient location,

  • both labyrinthine structures emphasizing the protagonists' vulnerability,

  • the unlikely partnership between the chimney sweep and shepherdess against the King, reflecting Ico and Yorda's reliance on each other for survival,

  • a shared sense of melancholy and isolation permeating both works, highlighting the protagonists' outcast status,

  • a minimalist narrative style favoring visual storytelling and environmental clues over heavy exposition and the pervasive surrealism and dreamlike quality present in Takicardia's illogical elements and the abstract nature of Ico’s castle.

Overall, I thought that The King and the Mockingbird was a triumph of animation. It is a film that defies easy categorization and I can see why it continues to inspire generations of artists, even those who do not have nostalgia attached to it; it's a shimmering, surreal dreamscape wended with poetic dialogue and striking visuals that lingers long after the final frame. It is filled with both wonder and a touch of melancholy which lasts long after the film has ended. It was a wonderful experience and stands as a testament to artistic vision triumphing over adversity.

Vampire Circus- Cult Film Review

My love for old horror films started in my formative teen years. The BBC would show cult horror films late on Friday and Saturday nights in the early to mid-90s and, when we got Sky, late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel. Some were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always-  some were experimental pieces which had a deeply ethereal feel and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you. It was here I first saw Circus of Horrors, Vampiros Lesbos, The Witchfinder General and many, many more.

Whilst flicking through the ITVX app, I saw the image for Vampire Circus. I vaguely remembered the film so decided to revisit it for the first time in 30 or so years.

Vampire Circus was produced in 1971 which was the start of the period of decline for Hammer. Hammer had risen to prominence in the two decades before with its gothic top tier b-movie films which were rich in detail and storytelling. However, by the 70s the audience’s tastes were changing and the drop in production quality led to a glut of poorer Hammer movies that seemed to be poorer imitations of what had come before. Luckily, Vampire Circus is not one of these films as it still stands as a great film- maybe one of the last great Hammer films before its decline. Taking inspiration from post-modern European films, it is an erotic dreamlike venture with lashings of gore thrown in for good measure.

The film is about a small town in a forest which is beholden to the evil Count Mitterhaus (played in bohemian Byronesque fashion by Robert Tayman). He feasts on the blood of children and preys on the beautiful women within this community. When the people rise up and kill him he curses them, saying that they and their children, and their children’s children etc will die. Cue the title card and the beginnings of an intriguing story.

We fast forward 15 years and see that the village is in decline as the neighbouring villages know about the curse and do not want the isolated village to spread the curse further. However, a travelling circus troupe, The Circus of Night, visits the village and performs for the people whilst secretly exacting revenge by killing the children of the families and dripping their blood onto the corpse of their cousin Count Mittterhaus. Will the village discover what is happening or will all the children of the village die and the Count resurrect?

I throughly enjoyed the film. Even though any film with child death is challenging to watch the overall plot of the story and the sheer sense of place in this Germanic town is well realised. Sure, there are bare bodies aplenty and lots of gore but the story at its heart of a class battle between the aristocratic class against the poorer and middle classes is still a relevant one even today. This film is not for the faint of heart but is well worth your time.

LINK: Kolchak: The Night Stalker- Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Twin Peaks Retrospective

LINK- On, and On and Colston (Or, ‘How We Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism in GB’)

LINK- ‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’

The Blood on Satan's Claw- Cult Film Review

My love for old horror films started in my formative teen years. The BBC would show cult horror films late on Friday and Saturday nights in the early to mid-90s and, when we got Sky, late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel. Some were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always-  some were experimental pieces which had a deeply ethereal feel and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you. It was here I first saw Circus of Horrors, Vampiros Lesbos, Twins of Evil and many, many more.

For this dark season, I thought I'd watch the Unholy Trinity of British folk horror; The Witchfinder General, Blood on  Satan's Claw and The Wicker Man.

I saw Witchfinder General on Bravo back in the late 90s/ early 00s I believe. I watched it again recently (read my review here) and still found it a powerfully violent film with something important to say about the violence wrought against women in the name of faith and power. However, I had never seen Blood on Satan's Claw so I decided to watch it on a cold, rainy day.

It is a typical English folk horror tale: a farmer finds the remains of a mysterious creature whilst tilling the soil. After the discovery, much evil is unleashed on the village. The locals start to act strangely and the youth are particularly susceptible to the powers of darkness.

The typical genre elements are all present and correct: rural setting, isolation, and themes of superstition, folk religion, paganism, sacrifice and the dark aspects of nature. The old trope of an outsider who comes into the community but doesn't understand the old ways is present, in this case the judge does not believe in witchcraft and superstition, leaves the village to carry out his duties elsewhere leaving the innocent locals to fend for themselves against the evil infected peers.

Director Piers Haggard has a wonderful eye for period detail and the cinematography of the English countryside is beautifully represented. The title music by Marc Wilkinson is playfully haunting, it sounds olde English but has a sinister woodwind string wending it's way through.

Even after nearly 50 years, the film is still a indictment about the power of suggestion, mob rule and religious paranoia. Even though it is set several hundred years ago, the collective ideology and influence of a few to change the society they exist seems prescient. The small town, local people mentality shows how quickly people will turn against people they consider outsiders.

The cast overall are great and the fact that it doesn't have a big name attached lends the whole affair a sense of mystery and uniquenessall its own.

Linda Hayden (left) plays the malevolent and precocious Angel Blake extremely well.

The actors and actresses all do a wonderful job but special mention must go to Linda Hayden, who plays malevolent Angel Blake, as she is only 17 at the time of filming yet seems to command a screen presence beyond her years. Patrick Wymark is effective as the judge who becomes the jury and executioner at the end of the film when he fights the Devil with a secret weapon. The scene is presented in slow motion and this gives the finale a nightmarish, surreal feel.

Overall, I can see why the film is held in such high regard and can see that it definitely earns it place amongst the Unholy Trinity.

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

The Witchfinder General- Cult Film Review

My love for old horror films started in my formative teen years. The BBC would show cult horror films late on Friday and Saturday nights in the early to mid-90s and, when we got Sky, late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel was a real boon. Some were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always-  some were experimental pieces which had a deeply ethereal feel and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you. It was here I first saw Circus of Horrors, Vampiros Lesbos, Twins of Evil and many, many more.

For this dark season, I thought I'd watch the unholy trinity of British folk horror; The Witchfinder General, Blood on Satan's Claw and The Wicker Man. No, not the Nic Cage remake. Now, say it after me…

A true crime against nature.

I saw Witchfinder General on Bravo back in the late 90s/ early 00s I believe. I hadn't seen it since then but remember the violence being quite disturbing at the time.

It starts off with a quiet countryside scene with lush green grass and lolling sheep. It quickly cuts to a hangman setting up a gallows on a hill whilst  a mob drags an old lady up to it. Whilst the priest recites the last rites the noose is put around the old lady and the stool is kicked away from underfoot, she swings and it smash cuts to Vincent Price as Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General, watching from astride his white horse. For a cold open, this scene is brutal and it doesn't stop there. The statement of intent has been set and it's not backing down.

The smashcut of Vincent Price is brilliant and the beginning is brutal.

The music by Paul Ferris kicks in to offer a brief moment to catch your breath as the credits roll. When the narrator sets the scene about 1665 and the English Civil War, we see that the rule of law is broken and cruelly inequal- dispensed without due process.

When a Roundhead soldier, Richard, is given leave after saving the life of his captain, he goes to see his lady love, Sarah. Her uncle gives him permission to marry his niece but wants him to take her away as the threat of being accused of witchcraft hangs over the area. The soldier returns to his regiment but, unfortunately, the following day the Witchfinder General comes to town and falsely accused the priest. He makes advances against the niece and, in exchange for a night with her, promises to free the priest. When Hopkins goes to a nearby town, his second in charge, John Stern, assaults the niece too. The priest is then dunked in the water and hanged for witchcraft as the niece's sway is lost.

The soldier returns to his love and promises to avenge the priest's death and the loss of her innocence by killing the witchfinders. What follows is a cat and mouse chase as the soldier looks to catch up to the witchfinders whilst they continue to carry out their dreaded executions.

The film is brutal in it's portrayal of violence done against the innocent and voiceless but the threat of cynical Puritanism and greed that underline this dark tale, still persist in today's world. The cinematography by John Coquillon is stunning shot as the beautiful greens of the beginning  contrast against the autumnal colours when Hopkins comes to town and brings his brand of justice. The costumes are on point and whilst you can tell that this isn't an expensive production, the economy of design lends it a charming period look.

Even after nearly 50 years, the depravity shown is still shocking but the tale of systemic violence done against women whilst the community watches is still relevant and prescient even of the rise of the far right and populism where hardwon womens' rights and liberties are being rolled back for a similar puritanical zealousness, underpinned by greed and power. Director Michael Reeves, who died tragically young, has created a film that has stood the test of time and is prescient.

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review