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Karim Ghahwagi (Karim)
Username: Karim
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 204.104.55.243
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2008 - 10:01 am: | |
So finally got to see this. This seminal Barker story blew my mind when I first read it when I was fifteen or sixteen. Now obviously this is a challenging story to put on celluloid, but it is also a cinematic one. The graphic novel adaptation of this was spot on, with this large bald Mahogany playing the role of the subway butcher. Needless to say, Vinnie Jones kind of works- the problem with him however is that he is Vinnie Jones, and not some random, faceless guy in LA. (The original story takes place in New York City-a great minus to the film as New York City is the principal character of the film in a way)The film might have worked better if they had spent the dosh on a star to play Kaufmann, and then had the Butcher be obscure. Kaufmann is now a photographer, who attempts to capture the so called dark side of the city- something new to the story. Actually this does work for a cinematic interpretation of the story, and I suppose it does further the themes Barker so eloquently introduces in the story, but somehow it doesn't ring quite true. One scene of a mugging in the subway furthurs the story's premise, but didn't work for me.
There was some nice photography, and I suppose the CGI seqments of the train moving down the dark network of tunnels was effective, but it got a little monontonous after a time. So a number of good visceral scenes, and you can't go wrong with Kaufmann waking up alone on a train to make whatever grisly discovery awaits him. So some good scenes, good photography, but it just didn't all come together as forcefully as it should I found. Still well worth watching. |
Laird Barron (Laird)
Username: Laird
Registered: 05-2008
Posted From: 71.212.71.146
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2008 - 11:54 am: | |
I read that it doesn't follow the original ending. Too bad, if true. I thought Barker's ultimate villains, and the Figure they served, added a significant dimension to what had been a fairly predictable (if nicely told) slasher story. |
Karim Ghahwagi (Karim)
Username: Karim
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 204.104.55.242
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2008 - 01:00 pm: | |
I don't know how to answer that without giving away the ending to those who have not seen the film or read the story. ;-) But yes the ending in the 'written story' certainly does push this to the next level and is ultimatly what makes it something special and a memorable opening story(ignoring the very Bradburyesque 'Illustrated Man' sort of opening of the books of course). The film also lacks some of the bleak humour I found. This is still a more successfull film than the slew of hellraiser disasters- but thats not saying much. (Other than the fifth one- or sixth?- the one that has Craige Scheffer from Nightbreed in it- the one with the child's finger in the candle) |
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