Post Mortem: The Fog

Mowing of the Seagrass:
In my last postmortem, in an unpopular move, I panned Living Dead at Manchester Morgue's initial slaying in "The Mangling of Martin". Well I still stand by what I wrote, as frankly while the movie itself has some charm, that scene was just amazingly unremarkable. This time around I have an example of how the first slaying should go. John Carpenter's work through the late 70's and early 80's was quite frankly brilliant, and the Fog is a shining gem in that crown of work, and the scene where the crew of the Seagrass first encounter the pirate ghosts is a prime example of why that is.

I will make mention that here I have chosen to review the sequence rather than a single killing as it involves the murder of three individuals that occur presumably simultaneously, two of which are on screen at the same time.

Manner of Death:
The crew of the fishing boat the Seagrass encounter a mysterious fog bank, and from the fog appears a great sailing vessel. The crew go on deck to witness and investigate this bizzarre event and find dark shadowy figures have materialized on their deck. Peering though the fog and darkness at the figures, the reason for their boarding the small boat becomes evident. Their only motive is murderous intent, as the first crewman is ran through with a rapier from behind. His surprised gurgle draws the attention of his mate who while witnessing the brutal slaying is himself butchered with a sharp hook. Each man looks on as is close associate dies horribly and slowly as the pirates stab and rake the men. The third crewman still in the boat's cabin is stalked throttled and brutally and repeatedly pierced through the head with a pick of sorts.

This scene was interesting, relatively creative, and I think there is no question that chioces of implements used here were effective in portraying the brutality of the pirates and the fact each was killed with a different, yet character/plot appropriate tool worked well. This scene is guaranteed to leave an impression on any young viewer, and I do believe that young teens were the target audience. So high marks for this category.




Effect on Story:
As is often the case with the first killing in a horror movie the slain characters have very little to do with the plot. Simply they are devices used primarily to set up the audience rather than have any meaningful effect on the story. While there are some questions about the heroine's relationship with the crew of this boat and the fact one member (the only one with a name) speaks of his wife, these ties are not further explored. This I feel is a shame as I do believe this is a relatively weighty category, but it's an understandable and quite common choice whether by design or editing. Either way the scores will suffer.




Appearance/Visual Direction:
The visual direction here is spot on. The lighting and contrast on Deck is stunning, maintaining the appearance of night, yet using the fog to provide enough light that the ominous figures to remain dark shadows. The way the ship appears and disappears in the mist and the figure as it enters the blacked-out bridge are extremely well executed. My only problem with this scene is the choices in casting and costuming of the fishermen. The two individuals who go out on deck are far too similar in appearance, both larger men with medium length curly blond hair and short beards, both wearing plaid flannel jackets. As characters it is possible they could be intended to be brothers, and watching one another die would be more poignant. However there is nothing beyond their appearance that might suggest this, and really in the big picture they are simply pirate fodder. The end result of their simultaneous executions with the camera cutting between them can be confusing as to whom is dying and how. The graphic and agonizing deaths shown here are again a skillful ploy by Carpenter to show the audience this brutality and have it burn into the viewer's mind. With this approach the audience will imagine similarly gruesome deaths for all those who follow without actually having to show any murders. The lack of visual gore and limited on screen violence likely helped this movie both psychologically and in the box office granting it a wider audience. Besides, what people can imagine can often be far more effective than what one can film.




Mood:
With solid directing and excellent visuals it's hard not to hit the mood category running. Carpenter here introduces us to the pirates with a large and mysterious ship that only appears briefly in this scene as we look on in wonder and fascination. Yet here we only experience trepidation. As the dark figures appear surrounding the men with large evil looking weapons in silhouette, fear begins to creep in. Yet it has not had chance to grab hold when the first man (Al) is slaughtered. Here we are caught off guard and are reeling, much like the victims on the screen are as they are gutted before us. Carpenter then skillfully nudges this shock towards suspense and fear as we see the darkened shape approach the last crew member in the boat's cabin.




Acting:
In this sequence there is so much going on, it would be easy for someone to overact, but each player does his part beautifully. I must say I particularly liked how the two individuals silently looked in in shock and disbelief as they saw the other man die a horrible death right before him. Perhaps it says a lot more to the direction as each witness his own death mirrored in the face of the other (again so alike), but I admit I'm not a big fan of reading too much into a scene that may not really be there, so I'll leave things as they are and give props to these guys.




Overall this scene is a great example of what an introductory murder sequence should be. It is not perfect, but solid in most every pertinent aspect. Tying it in with the plot would have been nice, the foundations to do so were there, and it certainly would have elevated the scene in ranking, but in the end not necessary. 19/25, 76% B

Bad Ads: Professor Deemer's Atomic Pest Bait

Fear the Undead

Greetings once again to the river Styx. Recently I had ventured again amongst the living, and found it was indeed difficult to return, just as it is if one strays into the land of the dead. But thankfully I am back, and wish to continue our journey into the nature of fear.

One of the oldest tales of horror is that of the Vampire. Folkloric tales of the dead rising from the grave to prey on the living are still commonplace in a number of countries and rural regions in the world today. So it is of no surprise that such terrors would become commonplace in horror literature and later cinema, in fact some of the earliest silent films acknowledged the captive spell these tales have upon us and capitalized on them. Now the Vampire is the most frequently used monster to have graced the silver screen. So what better subject is there for our journey into the analysis of what it is that defines scary?

The modern Hollywood vampire holds little resemblance to the traditional vampire of folklore. Traditionally a cursed family member that through some supernatural means would survive death and burial and inflict famine, disease and ill fortune on a village or family, the Vampire has become far more personal, tangible and terrifying in it’s modern incarnations. The modern Vampire is a seductive immortal predator feeding quite literally on the living. To some it brings death, and others it brings its curse to endure for eternity.

The vampire we know in film and fiction today owes much of its existence to the author Bram Stoker in his much studied and overanalysed masterpiece Dracula. A powerful and feared count of old Romania which found his way to London England to satiate his evil hunger on the modern world, far from his broken battlements and the terrified and unsophisticated villagers. Now sophisticated, alluring and mysteriously sensual, with the ability to transform into creatures of darkness, the vampire would never be the same. Although this foundation is still the cornerstone of what graces darkened movie houses to this day the character of the vampire has indeed continued to evolve. Much like any horror theme, it changes to meet and reflect the apprehensions of the current society. Seldom are vampires royalty or symbols of class struggle, rather they now tend to resemble their intended contemporary audience. Gone as well is the subtle mysterious seductive nature, again replaced with overt sexuality.

Firstly Vampires are what I would consider monsters, a physical supernatural being attacking and preying on people. This is just a small part of what makes them scary, but by no means should we overlook this aspect. It is after all this part of their character that impregnates our minds with what I have formerly describes as true fear. Their nocturnal nature of course preys on the subconscious fear of the dark and the use of symbols such as bats or insects, which illicit irrational fears in many are a vital component in their unsettling nature. This fulfills the first requirement of what it is to be scary by taking the audience out of their comfort zone.

More importantly however is the character of the vampire. Almost every aspect of the vampire is trait that we find alluring or desirable, yet here each is corrupt and perverse shadow of itself providing only unfulfilled promises and worse. The Seductiveness and sexuality of the undead is indeed something most of us would like to possess, but to the vampire, physical fulfillment and pleasure is simply unattainable. Instead it results in death of the mate and a fleeting glimpse at life and satisfaction of physical appetite. Wealth and power are neutered by situation. Certainly a secretive and secluded existence precludes any meaningful influence outside a small and corrupt group of likewise individuals at best. Not to mention your very existence being in the hands of such unimpressive underlings. Superhuman strengths and abilities only suffice to make the fulfillment of basic needs simpler and more attainable, but offer no joy, pleasure or pride. And of course most significantly is the promise of immortality. To this end the vampire is cursed to exist for all eternity only through the darkness of night, never experiencing the light of day and the joys of the living.

Perhaps it is this that we find most frightening about the vampire; as a monster in the dark, ready to hunt and prey on us unsuspectingly, and even wontedly. As a mortal the best we can achieve is death, for if our dreams and aspirations are granted to us they will in effect leave us with less than we currently have. We see that with every accomplishment and desire we strive to fulfill it only makes us more monstrous and pitiful. Indeed as fearful as we humans are of death the thought of there being a situation even worse, and it is that situation which we long for, we find that scares us. Could it be what scares us the most is our own personal and internal insecurities, and desires?.