Horns.

A strange movie, one that is not sure if it's a fantasy, a horror or a comedy film but one I would personally describe as a love story masquerading as a horror story.  Horns (2012) stars Daniel Radcliffe as Ig Perrish a DJ in a New Hampshire town who is suspected of raping and killing his girlfriend but although the townsfolk and the media believe his is guilty it has never been proved. After a night of heavy drinking during which he urinates on his dead girlfriends memorial Perrish wakes up to find he has grown a pair of horns as well as inheriting the power of the devil! Strangers as well as close family members and friends approach him and confess their sins in a most explicit manner and seek permission to commit various other rather dodgy, normally sexual, deeds. It's from this action that the comedy flows, which to be fair is very funny at times. But Ig soon realises that with this power he could find the real culprit and clear his name.

 

The always provocative Juno Temple.

Adapted by Keith Bunin the script is based on a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Stephan King's son Joe Hill, which itself incorporates elements of contemporary fantasy, crime and Gothic fiction and a book that Bunin admitted was a difficult story to adapt. Directed by Frenchman Alexandre Aja, who was responsible for the 2003 slasher movie Haute Tension, it consists of a very good ensemble cast, which it needed to persuade us that the narrative is not complete and utter nonsense and to a great extent they succeed. One of Movie Rambles favourite young actresses Juno Temple plays Merrin Williams the murdered girlfriend and it is the romance between the two leads that give’s the film it's heart. The late Anthony Minghella's son Max[1] plays Ig's best friend who he has known from their earliest school days,.  Although very well acted by Radcliffe I can never quite believe that he has left Hogwarts? The use of real snakes was a bit freaky!  An inventive movie presenting something different, which is always commendable in the days of bland mainstream cinema.

Daniel Radcliffe with his horns!

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[1] You may remember Max Minghella had a part in the dreadful The Social Network (2010) and also appeared in the George Clooney directed political drama The Ides Of March (2011)

The Woman in Black.

Ciaran Hinds.

If you judge a horror story by how many times it makes you jump, then the latest offering from the re-launched Hammer Film Productions really hits the spot. The Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre Film Club offering this week was The Women in Black (2012). James Pickering, one of the cinema’s young programmers, gave us a short but precise introduction the film. The cast included Daniel Radcliffe, in his first film since the Harry Potter franchise reached it inevitable conclusion, as central character Arthur Kipps, Ciaran Hinds, recently seen at the RBC in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), was local land owner Sam Daily and the screen and theatre actress Janet McTeer, who I have vivid memories of playing Vita Sackville West in the 1990 TV mini series Portrait of a Marriage, played his wife Elizabeth.  In the directors chair on this occasion was James Watkins whose previous film was the 2008 psychological British horror Eden Lake. James went on to tell us that the film was based on Susan Hill’s 1983 ghost story of the same name with the screenplay written Jane Goodman best known for writing Stardust (2007), Kick-Ass (2010) and Xmen 1^st Class (2011). The film relates a story about a young inexperienced Edwardian solicitor Arthur Kipps who, still mourning the death of his wife during childbirth, is dispatched to investigate the affairs of a Mrs Drablow a reclusive old lady recently departed. He has to travel to a rather strange and sinister village located amongst the Fens. The old lady’s isolated gothic mansion Eel March House can only be reached from a tidal causeway. Its not long before Arthur realises that there’s something sinister afoot! 

Daniel Radcliffe.

Janet McTeer.

A lively discussion followed where it was confirmed that the audience genuinely enjoyed their scary evenings entertainment but were divided on the ending i.e. was it a happy or sad ending? It was agreed that the film was full of traditional clichéd horror moments but they were done with such panache that it did not matter.  Like the Hammer films of the past it succeeded in making the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end and caused one or two members of the audience to emit the odd scream. The only reservation was that Daniel Radcliffe looked a little young for his role but still managed to carry it off with a certain resolute determination that stands him in good stead for future roles. Originally to be shot in 3D, the sense of evil in the old house is cleverly evoked for which the movies art department warrant’s a special mention along with the cinematography, I personally could of done without the very creepy porcelain dolls and spooky clockwork toys!! Hammer has recently announced that it is to make a sequel to Monday night’s film titled The Woman in Black: Angels of Death.