Episode 245 - Dan Curtis (and more)

[kingstownted]

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Welcome to a very informal look at one of the genre's unsung heroes Dan Curtis.

With the Tim Burton adaptation of Dark Shadows about to arrive, we take a look back through the works of the director / producer who worked primarily in the television medium beginning with his auspicious daytime drama where the introduction of supernatural elements and paranormal mythologies created a legacy still reverberating today (is there a Buffy without Dark Shadows?).

A stalwart advocate of the subdued, gothic approach to scares, Curtis productions were low on bloodflow (a necessity of network television), but delivered horror with class. His collaborations with great writers (notably several projects with Richard Matheson and William Nolan), and performers resulted in some exceptional if underappreciated works. We discuss the Kolchak films The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler, adaptations of the classics The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, Frankenstein, Turn of the Screw and The Picture of Dorian Gray, and other select favorites including Trilogy of Terror (Karen Black in four roles), Burnt Offerings, Dead of Night and more. The works of Dan Curtis may be low budget and constrained but he delivered suspense, drama and horrific
tragedy with gothic sensability.

As well, we have initial thoughts on The Avengers, and discuss some random watches including Comic-con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope, The Tree of Life, The Expendables, Haywire and Immortals (yes, random).

As always we welcome your comments: [e-mail]
Voicemail [phone]

[bloodblack]

Aargh, not you too. Praise for "Expendables" but not for "Haywire". I just don't get this. "Haywire" is far more entertaining and interesting than the disappointing "Expendables". I am at a loss to understand all this hate for "Haywire". Okay, not hate but a 'middling'. Whilst "Expendables" is a 'blast'? Of course for an action film you don't expect to have to prepare a frame of mind as for "Tree of Life" but what is wrong with that? Solidly entertaining, opening two scenes excellent (diner and car chase), regular fights, spaces to breathe between, plot a bit complicated but you catch enough of it as you go along on a first watch.

[hammerhead]

I had two issues with "Tree of Life"; 1. It stated clearly and succinctly in the first 30 minutes what it intended to do and say, and then spent the next two hours elaborating on what it had already said and 2. most of the spectacular images were just digital retouches of Hubble or Cassini photographs.

[osenator]

I will try to see TREE of Life. It was playing the other day, and was clueless what is was about. (movie channels from Rogers). I SO need to see the Trilogy of Terror! Huge Burnt Offering fan.

[delbertgrady]

I am in the same boat as bloodback. Thought Haywire was a solid action film with some pretty brutal hand-to-hand fighting. Expendables wasn't terrible, but mediocre. There was some bad CGI blood (just use squibbs!) and found the climax to be kind of underwelming. A big difference between the two movies was Haywire's fight scenes were mostly done with a static camera, pretty wide shots, and minimal editing whereas in the Expendables it was the opposite. The Lundgren-Li fight and Stallone-Stone Cold fight in particular were poorly shot & edited, surprisingly since Stallone ususally shoots pretty good action choreography when he directs. I did enjoy the airplane/dock sequence though. Saw the trailer for Expendables 2, and looks promising, could be an improvment.

[jmodlinc]

Couple of quick comments...

- On "Haywire": Tony, you are incorrect in your statement that Steven Soderbergh was unhappy with how it turned out; not sure where you heard/read that, but he was very happy/fine with how the movie turned out, and it actually was decently-received by many critics. In fact, many critics that overall weren't hot on it did enjoy much of the fighting in it and said it was quite well-handled (Gina's acting or the technical modulation of her voice, on the other hand, was a common complaint). To each their own, obviously.

Side Note: Ted and Tony, you really should check out "Contagion" which was Soderbergh's self-described take on a horror film from 2011 as well.


- On "The Cell": Say what you will about the movie as a whole, but for me "The Cell" is not only a gorgeous movie aesthetically but has a few of the most disturbing images I've ever encountered on film. Not saying it's a great success, just saying I do think it has its merits.

[maarow]

I've heard Haywire described as a "genre exercise" and that's what I found it to be. Soderbergh seems to like challenging himself, which I applaud, but sometimes it seems he makes films solely to get outside his own comfort zone. I think with Haywire he was so concerned with whether or not he could make a thriller that he forgot to make a unique or standout film; he just did it to see if he could do it. The story is standard, the characters are familiar, and apart from the lack of shaky cam and holy hotness of Gina Carano (I'd let her kick my ass any day ;D) I didn't find much to surprise me. And there were a few moments where characters did things just to move the story along, not because they made sense.

SPOILER: Click to show

Ewan McGregor KNOWS Gina is hunting him, he knows how skilled she is, yet he leaves his bodyguards behind to go for a walk in a completely isolated location? I almost thought he was hoping she would attack and had some plan, until she did and he seemed completely unprepared for it.

Anyway, I'm not familiar with Dan Curtis but this program piqued my interest. The reverence to old-school, slow burn Gothic storytelling sounds right up my alley.

[Deleted]

I recently watched the Dark Shadows the Revival episodes (1990-91) and am currently watching the Barnabas Collins episodes from the 1966 version. I think I prefer the episodes from the 1960's because they seem more atmospheric than the later Revival episodes. Although I did like it when they had flashback scenes to the 1790's in the later Revival episodes.