Review of the film Barbarian so controversial that IMDB refused to publish it. Twice

Really? They refused? Why?

You be the judge.

Warning; many spoilers.  It'll make more sense too if you have seen it. 

'Let's face it. If characters did exactly what 'everyone else would do', they wouldn't get themselves into situations that people end up in, in horror films.

That said, there is genuine effort here, for the most part, of characters trying to make the right decisions, but for reasons that are less realistic, they're not having any luck. Getting hold of people. Getting help from police etc.

There is genuine atmosphere though and a very definitive act structure. I love the way it goes from Act 1 to Act 2. And I like the flashback though at first, it wasn't clear that's what it was. All very well done. Classy in fact. It all comes together in a neat fashion that isn't evident as we're progressing through. That's rare these days. (Or any days when it comes to horror).

It's a little over the top but what horror film isn't? Few and far between.

Anything today that isn't a sequel, spin-off, homage, ie ripoff, deserves our attention and respect. And the fact that it was all done on such a small budget is quite remarkable. I loved the sets. The houses and the location work (Bulgaria).

The only setback for me is what's become, sadly, the cliché of characterization. The woke tropes. They are evident in almost every film and series now. Even commercials. Referring to, obviously, the central character being female. Women being either heroic, flawless or as victims. Black people being all awesome. And ol' whitey male as the bad guy. It's saturated the media with barely a variation. It's still discrimination and it's gutless not to attempt something different. It's almost as though filmmakers can't get funding if they don't go down these cliché lines. It's really pretty pathetic.

What was interesting, speaking of wokeness, is to see how quickly and easily an accusation can destroy someone completely. In this case, he was obviously guilty, but in actuality, an accusation should not mean guilt and life over, such as what we witnessed with Johnny Depp. There are many Johnny Depp's out there but few have the resources and supporters to prove their innocence. That to me was the real life horror story right there.

At least it's being shown in films, so there's some actual insight into someone's total lack of the right to reply and defense but there's still a lot of injustice occurring. Let the law do it's thing. It's like the modern form of public stoning.

Off topic (or is it really?) but all in all a great atmosphere and really well directed. It was refreshing and very enjoyable.

The critics got this one right.'

(Update. Review finally approved though heavily edited. 

'The only setback for me is what's become, sadly, the cliché of characterization. It's evident in almost every film and series now. Even commercials. (Previous attempts at a deeper analysis resulted in rejection. You know the drill).'

This has actually happened to me before on IMDB. Which is interesting as I've seen some terrible reviews, some by people who admit to having not watched the film. Others who were pissed off and stopped after half an hour. I've even seen a couple where they just wrote one sentence and copied it multiple times to fill the character quota. And others full of spelling errors. Just awful.

Ever since smart phones made it easy to leave reviews, the quality of review has gone out the window.

My review was at least articulate enough. To me, it's because of the subject of 'cancellation' which is in the actual film. It's not really off topic. What I said is accurate. And interesting and ironic that the review itself got cancelled.

I changed the titled and resubmitted it to reach a different person as sometimes reviews are rejected by one but passed by another. Says a lot actually.

IMDB is a super woke place these days. Anything that doesn't fit in with their strict dogma is rejected. I've had reviews passed then deleted. I've seen countless people complain about the same thing. How their reviews were also taken down. It's okay for Hollywood to make sweeping (and sadly now stereotypical) judgments about people but don't you dare comment about it. 

IMDB is also owned by Amazon. The same company that delivered 2022's most expensive flop, The Rings of Power, which was woke as all hell. They famously deleted thousands of negative comments from their own platform and then banned comments outright. Censorship alive and well. 

That's IMDB. And that's the world in general today. Say something 'outside the guidelines' and you're out of a job. And more. Cancelled.

These are oppressive times. Make no mistake.

A.J. Langford Books

This is what they're saying... Real book reviews

Lone Wolf World 

Sep 27, 2020 Graham  rated it 5/5
A great novel, so well written, so many insightful observations. The book inhabits the mind of an outcast who hates the world and decides to leave his mark on it. He's an intellectual who just doesn't fit in. Very quick to judge others and their flaws. You will probably find elements of yourself within its terse pages.

Oct 20, 2020 Elise  rated it 5/5
Just finished reading Anthony's "Lone Wolf World." A raw, intense novel about a sociopath whose egocentricity and narcissism was ingrained during his childhood. A powerful read.

Cameron - A brilliant read unlike anything I have read before, With classic lines such as 'Fee fi fo fum I smell the blood of white trash scum', it will keep you laughing and cringing the whole way through.

Oct 17, 2020 Susan  rated it 5/5
This was an intriguing book. Despite, or perhaps because of, the constant narrative of the main character, I found myself compellingly curious about him – what makes him tick, what will he do next? 

If you love stories where a character’s day goes from bad to worse, this is a good one. Also loved the touch of humour with multiple raw metaphors such as “the sun pierces me like a fork”. Fantastic! Somehow it made me feel I was in a film noir script. Don't get me wrong - it is very contemporary, very now.
 
 
Gracie  rated it 5/5

BEST. BOOK. EVER.
 

Craig - ' “I’m done with communicating. It’s a misuse of my vitality. The tank is getting low. “. Every bodies tank is low now. The everyday discourse of people to understand each other, perhaps to find common ground or at least to simply agree to disagree is no longer possible. We can’t even agree to disagree now.  Somebody has to win and somebody has to lose. It’s bull shit. In the end everybody loses. Langford nails it.'

Jo - The book grabbed me right from page one. I see so much of myself in the thoughts and actions of the Lone Wolf. Enthralling. A roller-coaster ride!

John - “I found myself disliking the protagonist but more disturbingly for me, I found myself agreeing more and more with his insights. Great read, full of observations of the modern human condition.

Order NOW in time for Christmas and get it inscribed any way you wish! What a unique gift! All for only 21.99. Order HERE

There is no place more lonely than the inner city. No place more fitting to make observations on the fallibility of human beings and the easiest to design their downfall. Ideology isn’t his motivation. He hates everyone, equally. His voice is unique. And he will be heard.

This bravely ambitious novel is like a modern ‘American Psycho’. A triumphant literary work exploring tragic and often inhumanly-human consequences. Heartbreaking, complex and masterful.  

Dominic Kirwan - Poet, Author.

Order NOW in time for Christmas and get it inscribed any way you wish!

What a unique gift! All for only 21.99!

Order HERE 

Beneath Hill 60

The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.
- Dale Carnegie



'Beneath Hill 60' is a true story based on a front-line campaign in Belgium in 1917. This is a war film unlike any other. Not at least that it is about Australian soldiers in a predominately British campaign. There were many others who fought in both World Wars, though you wouldn't know it from most big budget war films we are used to seeing.

Oliver Woodward (Brendan Cowell) is a late inductee into the campaign on the front who must prove himself to his fellow Aussies who have been in the trenches for some time. It's literally hell on earth. But these soldiers belong to a special unit. The tunnellers. Their job, to subvert the enemy from beneath. They are soon sent to one of the great Fronts of WW1 in Belgium, to an area known Hill 60 which is currently dominated by the Germans. There is a plan in place, but can they pull it off? It's claustrophobic. It's tense. There is constant shelling. The guns shots come from nowhere. You can understand how many were driven mad by it. (Shell shock).




This film works on so many levels. A brilliant taut script by David Roach based on the actual diaries of Woodward who shows us that there is more at stake here than gaining mere inches of ground. There is the tenacity of man. The blunt simple-mindedness which is required to get the job done, but which can also blind some men from the truth. War is stupid. It's a game. And yet they are not merely soldiers but ordinary people. We get an insight into their lives, predominately through Woodward himself, which juxtaposes how horrific war is. We get an idea of the German position too. Often they are faceless enemy's but here we get a little insight into the men on the other side of the muddy walls.

It's a suspenseful film, directed with real flair and I'm surprised to say, mastery of the medium, by actor Jeremy Sims, whose first film, (Last Train to Freo), was rather an languid affair. Once again he works within an tight budget, (like all Australian films, except for that unmentionable one), but he puts you into the mud and the water and the darkness underground. You'll by yearning for your shower, dry bed and a cup of tea; privileges denied to most of these chaps for months at a time.

Oliver Woodward.

My only criticism is that Brendan Cowell looks too old for the part. He' s supposed to be 25. I could have gone along with it if I'd been told much earlier. But really he is Australia's best actor (Noise, Love My Way) and plays Woodward to perfection.

The supporting cast is also first class. Steve Le Marquand shows his depth and is totally believable. It's welcoming to see John Stanton back. We don't see him enough in Australian film. He has a strong presence and that amazing voice. He is an underused icon. I barely recognised Jacqueline McKenzie, who looks ten years younger than she is. She is always a pleasure to watch. Her on screen daughter played by Bella Heathcote is a real talent too though Aden Young's brief odd appearance seemed unconvincing. The tunnellers themselves, all work together to bring a on-screen camaraderie and presence. Credit must go to Sims and Roach for this collective working dynamic. Also noted are the chillingly effective 5.1 sound effects and a classy score by legendary composer Cezary Skubiszewski.

If you are from outside Australia, and don't like war films, it is still effective as a thriller and even a love story. It's highly recommended.
For Australians, it's a must own DVD for every household. Finally, an Australian film to be proud of. And an important one at that.

85%


https://www.anthonyjlangfordbooks.com/books

(I did promise the short story The Workplace Glasshouse this post, but as I have just seen this film, I wanted to review it while still in theaters. If you live in Australia, you better get along quick.)

Coming Next,

The Workplace Glasshouse - We've all worked with wankers. But as they say, "People in Glass Houses..."

Coming in June,
A New Series, Feral Street. Pray you never end up there.

Also more in the series of Greatest Written Films, more poetry, flash fictions and Polls. As always, open for suggestions. Comments appreciated. It lets publishers know that people are reading.

Thanks for swinging by.

https://www.anthonyjlangfordbooks.com/books

Film Review: Hunger

Hunger is the story of IRA prisoners in a British Prison in Northern Ireland in the early eighties. Thatcher is in power and its a hardline approach. It's the midst of the Troubles. Between 1969 and 1981, there was a politically related murder every two days. Its not a pleasant environment in which to live. People are passionate about their beliefs, but this argument has been going on for four hundred years (and really centuries before). Things are stable, for now, but in the height of the Troubles, diplomacy is not the order of the day.



Steve McQueen is a visionary director. This films reeks with his creative touch and yet he never lets in get in the way of the story, if you can call it that. He almost lets the reins go, once or twice, but he never goes too far. In fact the film is enhanced by his mastery. It is almost a silent film, with most of the dialogue taking place in the centre (Act II). There is a 25 minute discussion between one particular prisoner and a priest, the first 16 minutes being in a single take. It is made more poignant because of the silent bookends of Acts I and III.



Prison is ugly and its easy to forget why these men are there. I'm sure it was easy for them to forget also. The fact that most held steadfast is a testament to their conviction. It's a battle between belief and self preservation.

Its not a easy to watch film, nor does it seek to shock like many similar films before it. It also doesn't dwell on traditional narrative structure, which would have let its commercial appeal suffer, (see The Name of the Father which contains a dynamic performance from Daniel Day Lewis or even Liam Neesen in Michael Collins), yet McQueen is not interested in the well worn path. The journey is less convoluted without the traditional character arcs and we are able to experience the horrific state of the Irish political prisoner. No matter what your stance on Northern Island, you will find it hard not to sympathise with these men who, in the end, take the only option left to them, hence the title of the film.



I had a chance to visit Northern Ireland in the mid 90's when a recent ceasefire still had people on edge. A group of young Catholic boys told me to f*ck off after I took a photo of a IRA mural. I did. I was also in England in the late eighties and experienced two bomb scares requiring mass evacuations. While those situations did not evolve into anything sinister, there were many such acts of terrorism in the seventies and eighties and even the nineties (the Omagh bombing), the impact of which we have had the terrible misfortune to witness. The point being that there are many faces to a politically charged environment, too many to go into here. And so Hunger exposes another side; What Came After.

Worth viewing purely for the artistic touches of McQueen... if you can stomach it.

84%

Film Review: The Road

The Road 

a review by Anthony J. Langford 

The Road has been a long time coming. It was shot in 2007. I don't know the reason for the delay, perhaps executives got tetchy when they realised there was no Mad Max style battle scenes. Saying that The Road is bleak, is like saying Grease is a musical. Of course it is. Did you think the end of the world wouldn't be?

The film, conscientiously based on Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, doesn't pull any punches. It drags us back, almost to the Dark Ages, back to the basics. Without adequate food and clothing, most people will resort to anything to survive. While others will simply give up. The father and his son walk the freeways and forest trails, searching, always searching for food and perhaps a little bit of hope. But there are no options anymore. Gradually the old world falls away. For the boy, that old world is a distant, foreign place. Survival is not merely a battle, its a curse. He struggles to understand it. The father is caught between wanting to shield his son against the cruelty he knows exists and giving him the knowledge he needs to survive. His son is now his world, yet try as he might, he cannot escape his memories. 

Viggo Mortenson holds this film together with an astounding performance, understated, minimalistic, but always captivating. The boy, Kodi Smit-McPhee also shines. His innocence is our link to this frightening universe as he struggles to understand what is happening around him. John Hillcoat (The Proposition) proves once again, that he is a dynamic director, keeping faithful to the novel by concentrating on the relationship between father and son and not on the devastated moon like landscape and broken highways. As depressing as it is, there is a tenderness, which makes those personal moments all the more poignant. There are some wonderful cameos too, particularly by veteran Robert Duvall. 

The only aspect that lets The Road down, and I never thought I would say this, is the music score of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. The two collaborated brilliantly on Hillcoat's last film, and both have had outstanding careers, but here they go for the obvious heartstrings in true Hollywood form. It's like being whacked over the head with a piano. At times the score does help to elevate a particular mood and is at its best when its subtle, but when that mood is predominately a downbeat one, we don't need to be so clearly prompted. 

Aside from this, The Road is a film of intense detail. It is a difficult film to watch but unlike any other post apocalyptic films before it, concentrates on humanity rather than plot, realism rather than spectacle. It was an oversight, if not shameful, not to acknowledge it at this year's Oscars. 

80%

(This was the first post on this Blog, date 6th Feb. 2010)

https://www.anthonyjlangfordbooks.com/books