Love Never Dies... neither does a damn fine pimpsuit!

There really is something to be said about a horror film that not only broke the box office but saved a studio from going under as well as launching several fledgling acting careers. Francis Ford Coppola set out to release a film based off Bram Stoker's novel which turned into a dazzling and sexy magic show. Back in 1992, one year before 'Jurassic Park' CGI as we know it was still in it's infancy and film makers still relied on human ingenuity to create something awesome. Given Coppola is one of the old school film makers who grew up in an artistically inclined family, his vision of Dracula is still considered to be one of the best versions ever. Is it, though? Here's what I think.

I would generally agree with the positive consensus of this film- it really is an exercise in visual artistry with a flair for story-telling accompanied by lavish costumes, a grand orchestral score and a sweeping feel to it. It's what I consider to be an enchantment style film. It may not please all tastes, but there is no denying it's eye-popping. Coppola obviously took great measures to see the world of Dracula to be successfully and memorably translated on screen and even now, it still looks and sounds amazing. The opening 'puppet show' of Vlad Dracul owning the Turks to this day still looks magical, and you don't even see any gory details. It should be worth noting that in addition to a gifted selection of creative artists, Coppola's son Roman had an active role in bringing many of the visual wonders to life in this movie. Neopotism isn't always a bad thing. People say that too much attention went to the visuals, but I disagree, as you shall see...

                                                               Renovator's dream!

In addition to the inanimate visual splendor, we also get some rather compelling performances. It goes without saying that Gary Oldman as Dracula himself is a standout- we all know how great an actor he can be, and although this was relatively early in his mainstream career, we see the genesis of a gifted actor who can do wonders with what could have been a one dimensional part. He can be disturbing, eerie, off-putting and vindictive, but at the same time he can be sensual, emotional and erotic. Winona Ryder once said that during a take of Mina hearing Dracula off-screen, Oldman was saying some rather sexually explicit things to her that she just couldn't get out of her head even to this day. Lucky cow.

The other actor who goes toe to toe with Oldman is the ever-reliable Anthony Hopkins as the fox-crazy Van Helsing. While the role of Renfield is played reliably by musician Tom Waites, Hopkins makes Van Helsing almost certifiable were it not for the fact he is respected for his boarder psychosis. Toward the end of the film when he and his cadre of Victorian vampire hunters are tracking the Count down, Mina accurately observes that he admires Dracula, and wouldn't you know it? While he doesn't say upfront he does, he doesn't deny it either. Hopkins' Van Helsing isn't Peter Cushing, Edward Van Sloan or any other actor that comes to mind when it comes to that role- he truly is a unique intereptation. Some people find him totally over the top, but really, when it comes to Dracula was is over the top? When you take into account the shape shifting, blood drinking, woman-stealing, disease-spreading character of Dracula, what harm can an equally insane adversary pose to the overall picture?

                                                                Trust me. I'm Dutch.

Another actor I must mention was Sadie Frost as the... shall we say, liberal Lucy Westenra. While at heart Lucy is a good person, her ways are quite overt when it comes to the affairs of love and lust. While some may argue Frost's portrayal is a little too overt, remember, this is Coppola giving his own take on a tale that has already seen so many transformations. A lot of this movie it concerned with the inevitable connection between sex (or death as the case might be with vampires) and death (or life in terms of how alive sex makes you feel). When it comes to memorable, Frost has this character in the bag- she can be so sweet and charming but at the same time sexually aggressive, and this is before she is transformed. Dare I say it, but when you see her in the same scene as Winona Ryder, you kinda forget Ryder is there because of how magnetic she is.

In saying that, and you know this was coming, the weakest link in this entire cast was Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker, Mina's impotent husband to be. I know Coppola was angling to get the teenage girls into the theater with this stunt casting, but in this case, it just doesn't work. Seeing him fumble through his dialogue trying to adopt an upper-crust English accent makes you shake your head and think "Why, Francis, why?" In my eyes, I think the women were more than spoiled when Oldman's Dracula sauntered across the screen, I know I was. The only time which Reeves seriously emoted was when he was being raped by Dracula's Brides (yes, he is being raped, it happens!), but even then, we are treated to an unflattering shot up Reeves' nose as he screams in terror. 

                                                                      Sex Offenders.

(Note: I personally can't fault Reeves as a person, he's actually meant to be a really nice, humble guy, I love you Keanu, I just don't like it when you push yourself too far without direction)

Now, I am a fan of Winona Ryder as an actress, I've enjoyed quite a few of the movies she has made, but here... I dunno, her career was a fledgling, I understand that, but I didn't buy her ultimately as Dracula's One True Love. Oh, she tries, she tries as hard as she can, and she is hardly an offense to watch, but I think it was because of her slight inexperience (and her somewhat mangled English accent) that didn't sway me that this was the woman Dracula would cross oceans of time to be reunited with. As I said, during her scenes with Sadie Frost, the audience naturally gravitated toward Frost's character more than Mina's because of her fire. While Mina is meant to be the opposite to Lucy in terms of behavior, she should still have had that unmistakable passion within her that would attract Dracula.

I also feel compelled to bring up the ornate and lavish costumes that complement their surroundings and the actors who wear them. Eiko Ishioka's costumes are more works of art than functioning and realistic clothing, but by gum they are glorious. Dracula goes through quite a few wardrobe changes, each of them suitably bizarre, but they match what the character is all about. You would think you are surveying an upper-end Eastern-European-Asian art exhibition because of how detailed and cross-continental they look. Another artistic wonder is the music score by Wojciech Kiljar, I'm shocked and almost appalled this score did not earn an Oscar nomination or a win for that matter because it truly encompasses what we witness on screen. I have a copy of the CD itself and it's perhaps one of the most played in my collection. It weaves it's Gothic siren song throughout every nook and cranny of your ears and imagination. It truly is a gorgeous and artful score, a personal favourite of mine is 'Vampire Hunters'- just you try listening to it and not feel the mounting tension of tracking down a supernatural fiend.

In closing, I should say that perhaps the biggest flaw is the dreary performance of Reeves as well as the audience's own refusal to fully embrace this glorified carnival show (I use that term with all good intention and admiration). It truly does depend on how you like your Dracula and how much you are willing to permit yourself to enjoy a done-over tale. This movie really could have been a massive disaster, but even now, it has many fans and it constantly gains more. It's really too early to say that this film will truly last the test of time, but it is first and foremost out to entertain those who are willing to give themselves over. They really don't make Dracula like this any more, despite the countless imitators and I feel it should be admired and appreciated for the things it strove fiercely to accomplish rather than simply being called a blockbuster three ring circus filled with clowns and no ringmaster. This film is more than that, and I hope if you haven't seen it yet, or if you are reconsidering to see it again you will be able to see a little more of the awesome than the suck. And even if you don't like it, don't ruin it for us who do. :-D

                                                 OBLIGATORY PIMP SUIT SHOT AHOY.

Ice Cold

'Basic Instinct' really is one of those movies you will either appreciate or say is utter trash, and it just so happens, if done cleverly, I love utter trash which has an entertaining face. While this film really makes no bones (he he, I said 'bones') about what it is on the surface (a lurid, early 90's erotic thriller), deep down, there are so many issues that can be discussed on an intellectual basis.We all know that this movie did not and never will win any awards for being a sterling look into the human spirit, but it is almost always overlooked as an important piece of cinema just because the audience saw va-jay-jay. To me, this is a very stylized look of the ever-going battle of the sexes on celluoid. While this battle has seen many arenas through drama, comedy and even action, 'Basic Instinct' takes this to the battlefied of sex, violence and mindgames, a clever option because those three sensationalist elements really do put bums in the seats. Paul Verhoven, you really are a sly bastard. 

Happy ending! Stabbity stabbity!

Upon viewing this movie recently, what surprised me is that despite the movie opening with a bang (literally), there really isn't a lot of the torrid sex this film is lauded to have. Yes, it is there and yes, it's explicit, but a distinct aura of sex is what truly permeates through this movie more than the sex itself. When we first see Catherine Trammell (Sharon Stone, in a performance which truly has defined her career for better or worse) she was the Hitchcockian icy blonde for the '90's- she doesn't give anybody the time of day unless it's for her own amusement. Despite her gorgeous looks, she is anything but vulnerable. She is feminine yet masculine in how she conducts herself around other men. She is for all intents a purposes a predator rather than prey in the male gaze. Although she isn't afraid to show off her body, she doesn't allow anybody to touch it without her permission- in short, she is a sex bomb, NOT a sex object, something which no doubt makes her a threat to the male characters in this film.

When vice-ridden Detective Nick Curan (Michael Douglas) decides he is the best man to bring Trammell to justice and in the process becomes involved in a dangerous affair with her, he knows she could very well be the death of him, but does that stop him? 

                                                                  Of course not, silly!

I am of several minds when it comes to this movie. I do not believe this is a terribly intelligent film, nor do I believe it is strictly an excuse to show flesh. Countless musings have been made about 'Basic Instinct' and how it symbolizes the on-going 'battle of the sexes', transgression, sexual preferances and a whole plethora of matters that concern society even today. Back in 1992, although bisexuality and homosexuality was indeed common, it held an enormous amount of shock value when it came to displaying its extremities on the big screen. One of the major selling points of this movie that has provoked so much discussion is the portrayal of these sexual culture- it is seen as highly sexual, but to the hetrosexual outsider Nick, it is an alien world filled with temptation and danger. 

                                               Well aren't you boys just the CUTEST?

On the flip side, others have said it is a film about female empowerment, with Catherine Trammell as the figurehead of this. Sure, it's not a wholly positive portrayal of pro-feminism, but it is a sensationalized example of it. Whatever was Verhoven's actual intent may always remain an mystery, but you can't blame people for analysing this movie and the two central characters. 

Personally, how I feel about this movie changes every time I view it. One day I may see it as this 'battle of the sexes' masked as an erotic thriller, others I may see it as a cheap yet entertaining tramp who only looks pretty but is otherwise a boring ride... so to speak. In saying that, I really have nothing new to add to this movie that hasn't already been said someplace else, but Paul Verhoven is a director who is (in my opinion only) dismissed unfairly just because he tends to exploit the more graphic elements of humans and their world. Okay, his films aren't ashamed of wallowing in exploitation (hola, 'Showgirls'), but at the same time, they never feel as if they are done PURELY for sensationalism for they actually have something to say (take a look at 'Starship Troopers' and 'Robocop'- both of them focus on the absurd lengths the propaganda machine goes, the excessiveness of violence in Western culture performed for our entertainment). Verhoven isn't saying EVERYBODY does it, his films come across as a general statement. In the case of 'Basic Instinct', Verhoven is possibly saying that people are too eager to be titilated about the unknown elements of sexuality and turning it into some whacked out adventure rather than focusing on what it really is. Dare I say, 'Basic Instinct' is masquerading as a form of arousal in order to make fun of how humans think and act.

Verhoven... you slick Dutch bastard.

Why The T-1000 Rocks

Without a doubt, the T-800 and T-101 as played by Arnold Schwarzenegger is what many rightly remember when the Terminator series is mentioned. Quite simply, it is impossible to see any other actor in the role. One could say that Arnold's Terminator IS the series. However, as time has gone on and audiences have demanded to see more than one Terminator rock the screen, (such as Kristanna Loken as the T-X, Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright and the various Terminators in the Sarah Connor Chronicles the only creation of SkyNet that has ever truly held my interest is the T-1000 as portrayed by Robert Patrick.


Now, some of you may say that the T-1000 was eventually defeated by T-101 (but boy it did NOT go easily!), and that factually it was not as technologically advanced as the T-X (who, let's face it, was a walking cheat code and despite all of her fancy weaponry STILL didn't so much singe a hair on John Connor or Kate Brewster's head :P) but in terms of presence, menace and persistance, T-1000 stands head and shoulders over either of them.


Allow me to list the ways...


1) Upon arrival, T-1000 assumes the identity of a cop. Rather than deck itself out in suspicious-looking biker's clothes and sunglasses and carrying a huge shotgun, T-1000 utilized a much subtle subterfuge. Think about it- cops are symbols of authority and more often than not, people are more inclined to trust them and give them information. When the T-1000 rocks up at John Connor's foster parent's home, it didn't use intimidation or pointed a gun in their faces- instead, it was able to have a regular, impersonal conversation with them regarding John's whereabouts. When they give the assassin a picture of John, T-1000 did not immediately go into Hunt mode, it gave the fosties a courteous smile and says "Thanks for your co-operation" and goes on its way.

 2) Despite its smaller appearance than T-101, T-1000 is athletic and frighteningly fast. When it gave chase to John in the shopping mall's carpark, rather than immediately hopping on a mode of transport, it pursued after the kid on his dirt bike on foot and you'd swear, if John changed gear, T-1000 would have been on the back of that motorcycle driving one of its sharp appendages through the kid's back and completing its mission before the T-101 ever had a chance to catch up.


3) Although the T-1000 is a cyborg, it has a good grip on human psychology and general common sense. T-1000 had a unique talent of sensing its surroundings through touch- generally speaking, it was a sponge which could soak up each and every little detail, nothing went past its observation, no matter how trivial. It recognised things that were significant to its targets and took advantage of them. It was also selective about who it chose to mimic during its assignment- it didn't just assume the identity of a random passerby and only ices those who it must (okay, the truck driver at the end of the movie was an exception, but the dude got in his way, damn it!). After T-101 saves John, T-1000 assumes the identity of John's foster mother (in doing so, it presumably fools the foster father). If it were not for T-101's monitoring John's phone conversation, John would have gone back to his foster home and had his goose cooked. In the mental institution where Sarah Connor is being held, T-1000 infiltrates the maximum security wing by assimilating the form of one of the guards. Toward the end of the film in the steel mill, T-1000 strikes right for John's emotional core by mimicing his mother rather than his cybernetic protector. Once again, were it not for T-1000's glitch and the timely intervention of the real Sarah, T-1000 would have done as SkyNet had commanded.


4) Sense of humour- T-1000 is an amoral machine all said and done, but who can forget that awesome finger-waggle it gave Sarah Connor when she ran out of shotgun bullets, as if to say "Tut, tut.". Pure gold. On top of that, the "Say... that's a NICE bike" is one for the books.





Don't be a tool...


5) They really couldn't have chosen a better actor than Robert Patrick to play the role. The guy does so much even when he isn't moving. Although he embodies the T-1000 as a cyborg first and foremost, he adds several hints of personality- humour, antagonism and confidence but he never plays on these things the way a regular character would. Incredible performance in a genre that is often overlooked for Hilary Swank dramas and Russell Crowe epics.


6) The name... just.. T-1000. Repeat after me. Tee-One-Thousand. Not just anybody can carry that moniker and be taken seriously.