Tag: 19th Century

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER – Review

Time to put away the toys, the comics, and even the big WWII history book at the old multiplex for this week’s new (but a tad old) release. I say “old” since it springs from a literary classic, one that has inspired so many cinematic adaptations (actually it has left its “mark” on all manner of media). I seem to recall its main character as a possible game show trivia answer as to which fictitious creation has been played by the greatest number of actors (he’s close behind Sherlock Holmes, I believe). So, what’s the “hook” with this? It’s not just a “straight” retelling. No, the filmmakers have taken one chapter of the original novel and have expanded it into a feature film since it’s often just a minute or two in most versions. And so now we’ll get the full “scoop” of how that “king of the vampires”, Dracula. insured that this was THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER.


This terror tale takes us back almost to the beginning of the last century, 1897. as we follow a speeding caravan through a twisty mountain pass on their way to a nearby seaport. That’s where the good ship Demeter is preparing to depart. Captain Eliot (Liam Cunningham) is there with his eight-year-old grandson Toby (Woody Norman) to assign the First Mate Wojchek (David Dastmalchian) the task of acquiring more crew members for the journey to London. Several old salts line up for the chance, but none are more eager than Cambridge grad, Dr. Clemens (Corey Hawkins). Wojchek rejects him (“those smooth hands…he’s not been working on the seas”). Then the wagons arrive via that caravan with massive wooden crates that “spook” some recruits. That and a near accident with Toby. prompts Eliot to hire Clemens. The young lad bonds with the doc as they meet the truly “motley” crew, who have dreams of a big bonus if they arrive in England earlier than agreed upon. Ah, but don’t spend that money yet. As the sun sets, strange things occur. The livestock perish, not from rabies but from something that has ripped them apart. When Clements explores the nearby cargo hold, he finds that the crates are filled mostly with dirt. But that’s not as surprising as the discovery of a near-comatose young woman, Ann (Ainsling Franciosi). Clemons attempts to cleanse her diseased blood through several transfusions. But will this weaken him and his shipmates as they discover that the animals were merely appetizers for the night creature that walks the deck under the moonlight? Can they possibly destroy him before his evil overtakes all of London?

For a vampire flick to truly soar (on bat-wings,’ natch) it requires a formidable force for the light, and here, rather than the ship’s captain, it’s the charismatic Hawkins as Clemens. From his first scenes, gambling near the dock, he projects a fierce, steely intelligence as the doctor fighting ignorance on all fronts. But he also has a real charm and warmth, whether bonding with young Toby (almost like a little brother) to his concern for the tragic Anna. Once she’s regaining her strength, Franciosi proves to be a great ally to Clemens as she pushes past her fears and channels her anger over being her village’s “sacrifice offering” to a monster. Cunningham exudes the proper gravitas as Captain Eliot while giving us a glimpse of his desire to be done with sea life. His weary eyes only brighten when he views his beloved offspring. But his other “ship son” is the surly Dastmalchian as the tough, cagey, and ever-alert Wojchek. Perhaps the most colorful of the crew is the entertaining Jon Jon Briones as the ship’s cook whose zealotry and fanaticism are almost as much a danger as the shadowy predator played with sneering animal savagery by Javier Botet.

As I mentioned earlier, screenwriters Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz have expanded on the “Captian’s Log” chapter of Bram Stoker’s novel. And they “flesh it out” with great imagination, making their crew more than just a transport for the book’s title character. They also do well with tough tasks as they create suspense even though we’re aware of the outcome, much like prequels in an ongoing movie franchise. Along the way they make the usual vampire story tropes fresh, especially in the sequences involving exposure to the sun. Best of all may be their take on the count himself. He has no need to be “wrapped in human skin”, no seducing or deceiving as he appears as a hellish “bat demon” (with perhaps a hint of the classic NOSFERATU vibe), who blends into the shadows before striking like the speed of a cobra. And be warned, no one is safe from his insatiable thirst. Kudos must also go to the costumers and art directors for transporting us back to the turn of that century and making us feel as though we’re on that grimy “working boat”. Director Andre Overdal gives the story a real sense of urgency in the opening port scenes while creating a heavy tone of impending doom. The mood on deck combines the beauty of the pounding waves with eerie foreboding, especially in the cargo hold as the crates become objects of menace. Unfortunately, after we’ve seen several “meals”, the pace slackens and the film’s focus softens (perhaps tighter editing would help). Still, the final showdown is impressive, though the epilogue seems out of sync with the rest of Stoker’s epic. But fans of the horror classics will enjoy this expansion, though the flood of gore isn’t washed away by the sea foam splashed up by THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER.

3 out of 4

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER is now playing in theatres everywhere

THE HARDER THEY FALL (2021) – Review

THE HARDER THEY FALL (C: L-R): REGINA KING as TRUDY SMITH, ZAZIE BEETZ as MARY FIELDS. CR: DAVID LEE/NETFLIX © 2021

What say we saddle up and mosey’ down to the ole’ multiplex, pardner’? Or something like that since we’ve got an opportunity to take in a true cinematic rarity. Several decades ago the Western (or as the Variety “trade paper’ called them “Oaters”) was a staple at the local “Bijou”, just like comedies, musicals, romances, and horror flicks. And TV “rode alongside’ with the genre encompassing over half of network primetime fare. Oh, but now…(cue the tumbleweeds). Sure, there have been modern Westerns like the recent LET HIM GO and CRY MACHO, but they’re pretty much set in modern times (yes, I know Clint’s last entry was a 1980s story). No, this new one takes place near the tail end of the 19th century and its cast is mainly black (I’d say African-American but many of the actors hail from foreign lands), But this isn’t a first as it follows in the “boot-steps’ of ADIOS AMIGO, BUCK AND THE PREACHER, and POSSE (that’s nearly 30 years ago). And before you ask, this isn’t a remake of Bogie’s last flick, though it’s also called THE HARDER THEY FALL. Giddeyup’!

This “sagebrush saga’ opens with a flashback, showing us a decade-old attack on a frontier family by notorious outlaw Rufus Buck (Idris Elba). The tale jumps forward as a survivor (no, he didn’t become Batman or even the Lone Ranger), Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) exacts his revenge on one of the Buck gang in a deserted church. Meanwhile two members of the “Love crew”, “crack” rifle “shot” Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi) and cocky confident “quick draw” kid Jim Beckworth (RJ Cyler) ambush the “Vermillion Gang” (they wear colored hoods now closer to pink) and relieve them of their stolen bank loot, which was intended for the Buck gang, though he’s “rotting” in jail. Or is he? Far away a locomotive is stopped and bordered by “Treacherous” Trudy Smith (Regina King) and “fast-draw” killer Cherokee Bill (LaKeth Stanfield). And what is the train’s treasure? Cash? Gold? No, it’s their boss, Buck himself who was being transported to another “facility” (it seems that the gang has an unlikely ally high up in the government). Meanwhile, Nat visits a high-class saloon, after checking his gunbelt with the tough bouncer/ bodyguard “Cuffee” (Danielle Deadwyler) and reunites with its owner, and “lost flame”, “Stagecoach” Marie (Zazie Beets). Later, the saloon hosts another reunion as Love is approached by famed lawman Bass Reeves (Delroy Lindo), who delivers the news of Buck’s escape. The next morning the two are joined by Pickett and Beckworth on the trail to Redwood City, where, much to Love’s surprise, they are joined by Mary and Cuffee. Over in their destination, Buck re-establishes himself as the town’s “kingpin”, tossing off the law, acting Sheriff Wiley (Deon Cole), and levying a hefty “protection tax” (to make up for the earlier “ripoff”) on its poor citizens. When Love’s crew arrives, Mary insists that she go into town “incognito” to “scope out” the situation. When things go awry, Nat and his gang are caught in a jam. Do they become outlaws to rescue Mary? Either way, the Buck Gang could triumph and make the town a stronghold for the lawless. Sounds like a “showdown” is a-comin’!

An excellent ensemble helps make the West very wild indeed. Heading up the forces of good (well, not as bad as the other “sidewinders”) as Love is the very compelling Major (so great in the recent Disney+ streaming show “Loki”) who proves to be one confident cowbo…er…man. His Love is an excellent leader who backs up his six-gun skills while somehow being several steps ahead of anyone else. His fighting and romantic partner is played with equal part allure and danger by the radiant Beetz (there’s a lady worthy of their “ride into Hell”). Lindo is filed with righteous gravitas as the somber Reeves. Luckily the mood is lightened somewhat by the comic sparring of Gathegi as the usually pessimistic Bill and Cyler’s full of motor-mouthed swagger Jim. Rounding out the “heroic six” is Deadwyler whose Cuffee has a fierce sense of loyalty to offset her often awkward social skills. They’re all “put through the wringer” by the enigmatic Elba as the hulking Buck who quietly hovers over his victims, waiting to strike with unbridled fury, like a simmering powderkeg. King as Trudy seems to be his good “right hand” as she does his bidding while barely suppressing a sadistic smile. Her cohort Cherokee Bill as portrayed by Stanfield is a cold, dead-eyed one-man army, whose banal stare is almost as deadly as his trigger finger (and it’s so itchy). Cole also provides a bit of levity as the ineffectual Wiley whose bellowing bark is much more painful than his bite (even with those shiny gold choppers).

Director Jeymes Samuel, helming the script he co-wrote with Boaz Yakin, brings a lot of kinetic energy to this “horse opera”, mixing the visuals of Sergio Leone with some of the ultra-violent snark of Tarantino (if only his THE HATEFUL EIGHT had this sense of style and brevity). Samuel takes all that we love about the genre and makes it feel somewhat fresh. And there’s a nice sense of history as he uses the names of real Western icons for this fictional fable (I only knew about Reeves via the recent HBO sequel to “The Watchmen”). Yes, some of the humor is hammered into a pulp (the color of a very unfriendly town) and a few scenes seem too weird for the time period (a saloon entertainer painted blue ala’ Mystique from the X-Men would not have “played” well with thirsty cowpokes). Oh, and the carnage of the final “throwdown” is more than a bit mind and backside numbing. However, the cast seems to be having a terrific time ( no matter how old we get, playing “cowboy’ is a blast), and the art direction is top-notch from the saloons and side shops to the wardrobe. Any fans of SILVERADO and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN should get that same rawhide rush from watching the “souped-up”, hip hop, shoot-em-up’ spectacle of THE HARDER THEY FALL. And when they topple, look out for those popping “blood squibs”.

3 Out of 4

THE HARDER THEY FALL is now playing in select theatres and is streaming exclusively on Netflix

PETERLOO – Review

Now here’s a historical epic that tackles a little known event (at least here in the states) involving an act of rebellion against Great Britain. Is this film about the American Revolution (that we know about) in the1770s? No, maybe it presents another version of India’s fight against British rule? Wrong, nor does is it present another incident from “the troubles” that plagued Ireland. 2019 marks the 200th anniversary of a tragedy stemming from a rebellion against the Crown and Parliament by her own countrymen. That’s right, it was not on foreign soil, rather it was St. Peter’s Fields in Manchester UK where much British blood was spilled. Harkening back to the military victory 16 years before against Napolean’s French forces, the local press dubbed this dark Monday PETERLOO.

This docudrama actually begins with the end of that battle, when the Duke of Wellington triumphed at the Battle of Waterloo. As the government decides to bestow a several thousand pound reward (could it be a bonus or an early version of the golden parachute), a traumatized, battered young man named Joseph (Davis Moorst) slowly walks the many miles to his tiny family flat in Manchester. Things have gotten worse in the northern villages and towns, to the point of economic depression. The main local employer, the busy mechanized cotton mills, are cutting back on wages. Unfortunately the taxes are just as brutal as ever. But not as brutal and cruel as the courts where the slightest of crimes elict harsh, sadistic sentences (deportation to Australia, public floggings, and executions). Because of the Corn Laws, cheaper foreign grains and food are denied the poplace. To top it off, the town doesn’t have a seat in Parliment. Several members of Joseph’s family are active in the underground reform movement (still the local authorities are most aware of the closed meeting thanks to several informants). Two of the local reform organizers travel soutth to hear a speech by reformist Henry Hunt (Rory Kinnear), and return with an idea to invite him to give a speech in Manschester uniting all the groups from nearby towns. Unfortunately the office of the Home Secretary Lord Sidmouth (Karl Johnson) intercepts the invitation. Along with the local Manchester magistrates they plan to arrest Hunt and deal a strong blow to the “radicals” by use of the military militia. Tensions build culminating on the day of the big speech on a hot August Monday (picked because it’s the start of the work week), as the magistrates (safely several stories above the 60,000 men, women, and children peacefully attending) read the Riot Act, while saber-wielding calvarymen ride in to disperse the crowds.

With such a sprawling tale (in the age of digital manipulation can we still really say, “A cast of thousands”), there’s no true lead actor here who figures into the story’s scenes from beginning to end. A point could be made for the film’s second and third acts that Kinnear as Hunt becomes the tale’s driving force and focus. The talented actor is more than up to the task channeling the charisma necessary for a speaker who would inspire hundreds to travel on foot in order to hear a bit of him (the big end speech recalls the sermon gag from MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN…”Blessed are the cheesemakers?”) in those pre-electric amplifier days. But Kinnear shows us that Hunt was not without his faults. We see the vanity in his flashy signature garb (he must have his white coat and hat) and an ego touched with hubris (he truly believes that only his presence can stop any hint of violence). Other stand-outs include Moorst as the PTS-plauged (not a diagnosis then) veteran Joseph, his eyes always squinting, his face pinched as though awaiting the cannon blast. On the flip side is Johnson whose gleeful cruelty produces a twitching stammer as he plots to stomp out any revolt. Similarly Vincent Franklin as Magistrate Ethelston issues cruel judgements like a reptile spitting venom, even later as he rails against the “lower classes” while composing the Riot Act. These are bit a few of the terrific performances by this large gifted cast.

Writer/director Mike Leigh once again lauds and embraces the “working class”, giving them more nobility than their greedy abusive “betters” (the Prince Regent as played by Tim McInnery is a slightly smaller humanoid Jabba the Hut). But, as with the portrayal of Hunt, they’re not devoid of quirks and “warts”. Again, harkening back to BRIAN, there’s lots of infighting inside the movement as certain fractions get annoyed with more radical branches (“Imprison the King’s family!” quickly turns to “Behead the Royals!”). And naturally, there’s the old “green-eyed monster” as one of the event organizers is miffed that he won’t speak prior or post Hunt (though his angry retreat to the pub may have saved his life). Leigh orchestrates the big cast scenes with the same urgency as the intimate encounters inside the tiny cottages or in the corner of a barn. Plus he fills the atmosphere with a palpable sense of danger, the tension tightening as the planning builds to the momentous Monday. And then Leigh delivers with a sun-drenched nightmare full of carnage and chaos (every third woman seems to have an infant). Big kudos to the fantastic work by the crafts artists who make us feel as though we’re on those streets 200 years ago. A couple of scenes set in the cotton mills with all the machines spinning away at full scenes are simply jaw-dropping. Thanks to these talented men and woman PETERLOO is a vibrant history lesson that’s riveting and still quite relevant.


4 Out of 5


PETERLOO opens everywhere and screens exclusively in St. Louis at the Hi-Pointe Theatre and Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas