1980-1989

28.12.23 Distant Voices, Still Lives showcases the talent of the late Terence Davies at his most autobiographical and personal. It’s a delicately composed and poetic film which chronicles the closing of chapters and the opening of others in a Catholic working-class family in Liverpool. Ruled over by a terrifying patriarch, played by the brilliant Pete Postlethwaite, he gives an impressive performance as a violent man most likely suffering from mental anguish, yet still capable of love and tenderness. There is a powerful sense of place, as the same rooms and spaces bear witness to key moments in the lives of families, such as weddings, funerals and baptisms. Perhaps in 1988, audiences could more easily relate to the extended scenes of familial pub singalongs reminiscent of the postwar era. It’s only partially meaningful to me, but more so to my 78-year-old father who joined me to watch most of this film over the Christmas period. Still, it’s very impressive how Davies holds the audience’s attention with these songs alone, which convey a multitude of emotions and meanings in their lyrics. While not as visually dreamlike or vivid as Davies’ masterwork Of Time and the City, Distant Voices, Still Lives possesses a unique beauty all its own 35 years later. The artistry and wrenching sadness are undiminished by time. My dad questioned the title of the film and he was right, as there is nothing distant or still about this film. Through his personal lens and reminiscent, moving style, Davies has crafted a small but powerful Liverpudlian family saga.

19.11.23 Come for Jeremy Irons’ remarkable dual performance, stay for the surgical, simmering psycho-sexual tension. Dead Ringers has a muted but disturbing tone that contrasts coolly with its distinctive production design and vibrant use of primary colours to do the storytelling. It showcases how well David Cronenberg handles his usual fondness for violence in a controlled style, crafting instead a psychological drama which confronts his persistent preoccupation with the physical and mental declines of the human soul. It has enough stylistic substance that allowed me to enjoy it for all its unsettling whimsy. Clearly, it’s a divisive film, which has been largely re-evaluated this year due to the release of the Dead Ringers TV show in 2023 starring Rachel Weisz in dual roles as the Mantle twins. Now in retrospect, I feel that the original film is worth checking out for fans of Cronenberg’s more recent work as they will instantly notice his trademarks; the opaque sexual themes, visual potency through mutilation and many semi-dream sequences. Despite this though, Dead Ringers inhabits a clinical, cold atmosphere throughout, which although suiting the nature of the story revolving around the misuse of prescription drugs and the voracious behaviour of doctors as predatory gynaecologists, does make the unfolding of events drag at times. The female roles are also very thinly written and unconvincing in my opinion. A double dose of Irons in a devilishly unsettling concept does make it a decent enough movie, but if you’re not feeling despondent going into it, you will be when it’s over.

27.01.23 Poltergeist makes for a really interesting rewatch, because it feels like such a different film from the one that I used to watch as a kid, late at night on VHS hidden under my blanket. Although some of the scenes that used to terrify me now seem cheesy and outdated, what’s left is a revealing snapshot of middle class American suburbia, and a portrayal of fear through the eyes of privilege that I did not appreciate at the time. The more you have, the more you have to lose, or be scared of. What’s also left is the visual spectacle, in particular to some of the film’s mid to late supernatural scenes.In those captivating moments, the score, inventive lighting and convincing performances all stack up and hold up well to this day. It’s a Tobe Hooper film, but it’s got Speilberg written all over it. There is a roster of colourful characters, mostly from the team of ‘supernaturalists’ trying to help the family, and as they get introduced bit by bit, the energy of the film begins to ramp up to a great horror ‘double climax’. Maybe it’s not as well loved as ET, also from 1982, and I’m pretty sure I have a mild phobia of clowns because of the film, but Poltergeist still delivers. It’s an immensely satisfying ‘family horror’ movie with terrific energy and memorable scares.