 |
CS Weekly Archive> DVD > 11/21/07
Exhuming Old Friends
by jason davis
The Amicus Collection
Asylum
Written by Robert Bloch
—And Now the Screaming Starts!
Screenplay by Roger Marshall
Based on the novel Fengriffen by David Case
The Beast Must Die
Screenplay by Michael Winder
Based on the story “There Shall Be No Darkness” by James Blish
Asylum 
—And Now the Screaming Starts! 
The Beast Must Die
The principal competition for Britain’s renowned Hammer Films in the genre of horror, Amicus Films favored contemporary settings for their supernatural offerings and made prolific use of the portmanteau format that linked several short narratives into a cinematic anthology. Dark Sky Films has assembled a representative sample of the studio’s early 1970s offerings, with ample commentary from the filmmakers on the development and production of the movies. First up is 1972’s Asylum, which joins four short stories by the legendary Robert Bloch (Psycho), who cleverly weaves the disparate tales into the lives of several inmates in an institution for the incurably insane. Bloch’s script, though sacrificing some of the detail inherent in the short story, is a masterful reworking of prose ideas for a dramatic medium. Less successful is the sole period piece, —And Now the Screaming Starts, which panders to its lurid screen title by overloading a compelling tale of multi-generational vengeance in 17th-century England with excessive gore and wanton shocks. The Beast Must Die, in which a wealthy adventurer (Calvin Lockhart) hunts a werewolf on his country estate, is a fascinating blend of the classic whodunit and high-tech action with the sensationalist gimmick that the film grinds to halt 15 minutes before the end to allow viewers to guess which character is the werewolf. Though disparate in their quality and charms, the three films present a breadth of horror cinema too often absent in this era of torture porn.
The Amicus Collection
Dark Sky Films
Not rated; 271 min.
$29.98
Buy it now
Jason Davis has been the DVD Manager for CS Weekly, a contributing editor for Creative Screenwriting Magazine, and has written for Cinescape.com, MSN.com, and created the TV series Studio 13, which ran on Lorne Michaels' Burly TV network. He lives in the small space left over by his ever-expanding library of books, movies, and music.
The Amicus Collection courtesy Dark Sky Films
|
 |
From the Trenches
Working screenwriters discuss in their own words a particular aspect of screenwriting, from the mechanics of writing to the personal and professional impact that writing has had on their lives. > VIEW ARCHIVE
The Big Picture
Features that cover all aspects of screenwriting, from our "Seven Best" lists to analysis of old favorites and new classics. > VIEW ARCHIVE
Weekend Read
Film, book, web site and technology reviews from a writer’s perspective. How can these items help a writer on his or her journey, or make that journey more enjoyable? > VIEW ARCHIVE
DVD Review of the Day
DVD reviews from a writer’s point of view. What aspects of this script and features of this DVD illuminate the writing, development, and storytelling process? > VIEW ARCHIVE
|
|
