Post by klep on May 27, 2019 9:12:16 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/27: Q: The Winged Serpent
KAIJU WEEK!
Though it came out in 1982, Q feels like a throwback to an earlier era. Monster movies of its ilk were common in the 50s and 60s, but as first science fiction and then slasher films caught on they sort of faded into the background. There's a recognizable formula. A spate of strange killings catches the eye of investigators of some sort (here its cops, sometimes it's scientists or the military). Investigation leads to an outlandish theory which is dismissed. The theory proves to be true, and the monster is confronted and defeated.
Q is no exception. A series of strange deaths strikes New York, and detectives piece together the existence of a monster brought about by a series of sacrifices to the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl (a name I can spell without looking it up). A small-time crook inadvertently discovers the nest of the creature, and strikes a deal with the cops which lends to them confronting and killing the creature. At one point there is a topless woman because exploitation. A sting at the end reveals the threat isn't truly over.
Writer/director Larry Cohen and producer Sam Arkoff were no strangers to this genre of picture, having come up in the B-movie business where they thrived. So it's no surprise that them working together might produce a film like Q. And this is definitely a B-movie. The dialog is a little underdone and the plotting cuts some corners in bringing everything together. For example, at one point we're told there's a suspect in the ritualistic killings (as opposed to the monster attacks). The police are tailing him, but we aren't shown him. Naturally we think it's going to be a surprise reveal of a character we've seen before. And then it turns out it's just some random guy (Shelly Desai). The conflict between Detective Shepard (David Carradine) and his Captain is half-baked, as is his relationship to his partner (?) Detective Powell (Richard Roundtree).
But for all its flaws, Q still has some things to recommend it. The monster is dolled out sparingly, intelligently unveiled bit by bit as its attacks grow more brazen. The stop-motion animation is well-done, and the use of the actual Chrysler Building adds some valuable verisimilitude to the film. The cast features some quality actors like Carradine, Roundtree, Candy Clark, and Michael Moriarty. Moriarty in particular delivers an incredible performance, creating a multi-layered, deep character out of what he's given on the page - improvising some of his own dialog. Jimmy Quinn has to shift from a shiftless, timid coward to a domineering blowhard and Moriarty does a phenomenal job selling that transition as his character gets a little bit of power. His negotiation with the police over his reward for revealing the nest location is a highlight of the film.
Films like Q are one of the rewards for cinephiles who watch tons of movies, making their way through all kinds of of dross looking for gems. It's unheralded and somewhat obscure - few essays are written about it, and there are no franchises or familiar IPs to call back to it. But those of us who stumble upon it looking for something to watch get treated to a cool monster, a solid cast giving the material an honest shot, and one actor in particular giving a career best performance.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 6/3: Boyz N' The Hood
BLACK FILM WEEK!
For Black Film Week this time we're paying tribute to the recently departed John Singleton with his seminal film Boyz N' The Hood. Come join us next week for our discussion of Singleton's portrayal of life as a black man in South Central Los Angeles at the start of the 90s. Boyz N' The Hood is available for rent in the usual places.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 5/28: The Warriors
A plucky group of underdogs desperately seeks to get through a gang-infested New York back to its home turf in this classic film which the podcast is pairing with John Wick 3. Join us Wednesday for our discussion of The Warriors, available for rent in the usual places.
KAIJU WEEK!
Though it came out in 1982, Q feels like a throwback to an earlier era. Monster movies of its ilk were common in the 50s and 60s, but as first science fiction and then slasher films caught on they sort of faded into the background. There's a recognizable formula. A spate of strange killings catches the eye of investigators of some sort (here its cops, sometimes it's scientists or the military). Investigation leads to an outlandish theory which is dismissed. The theory proves to be true, and the monster is confronted and defeated.
Q is no exception. A series of strange deaths strikes New York, and detectives piece together the existence of a monster brought about by a series of sacrifices to the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl (a name I can spell without looking it up). A small-time crook inadvertently discovers the nest of the creature, and strikes a deal with the cops which lends to them confronting and killing the creature. At one point there is a topless woman because exploitation. A sting at the end reveals the threat isn't truly over.
Writer/director Larry Cohen and producer Sam Arkoff were no strangers to this genre of picture, having come up in the B-movie business where they thrived. So it's no surprise that them working together might produce a film like Q. And this is definitely a B-movie. The dialog is a little underdone and the plotting cuts some corners in bringing everything together. For example, at one point we're told there's a suspect in the ritualistic killings (as opposed to the monster attacks). The police are tailing him, but we aren't shown him. Naturally we think it's going to be a surprise reveal of a character we've seen before. And then it turns out it's just some random guy (Shelly Desai). The conflict between Detective Shepard (David Carradine) and his Captain is half-baked, as is his relationship to his partner (?) Detective Powell (Richard Roundtree).
But for all its flaws, Q still has some things to recommend it. The monster is dolled out sparingly, intelligently unveiled bit by bit as its attacks grow more brazen. The stop-motion animation is well-done, and the use of the actual Chrysler Building adds some valuable verisimilitude to the film. The cast features some quality actors like Carradine, Roundtree, Candy Clark, and Michael Moriarty. Moriarty in particular delivers an incredible performance, creating a multi-layered, deep character out of what he's given on the page - improvising some of his own dialog. Jimmy Quinn has to shift from a shiftless, timid coward to a domineering blowhard and Moriarty does a phenomenal job selling that transition as his character gets a little bit of power. His negotiation with the police over his reward for revealing the nest location is a highlight of the film.
Films like Q are one of the rewards for cinephiles who watch tons of movies, making their way through all kinds of of dross looking for gems. It's unheralded and somewhat obscure - few essays are written about it, and there are no franchises or familiar IPs to call back to it. But those of us who stumble upon it looking for something to watch get treated to a cool monster, a solid cast giving the material an honest shot, and one actor in particular giving a career best performance.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 6/3: Boyz N' The Hood
BLACK FILM WEEK!
For Black Film Week this time we're paying tribute to the recently departed John Singleton with his seminal film Boyz N' The Hood. Come join us next week for our discussion of Singleton's portrayal of life as a black man in South Central Los Angeles at the start of the 90s. Boyz N' The Hood is available for rent in the usual places.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 5/28: The Warriors
A plucky group of underdogs desperately seeks to get through a gang-infested New York back to its home turf in this classic film which the podcast is pairing with John Wick 3. Join us Wednesday for our discussion of The Warriors, available for rent in the usual places.