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DanTheMan2150AD's rating
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DanTheMan2150AD's rating
Like its subject, From Darkness to Light is not entirely complete, but it doesn't cut the viewer short on some jaw-dropping revelations. The Day the Clown Cried has always been an odd fascination with me, as is the case with a lot of lost or rare media, and this is as close as we'll ever probably get to seeing the film in its entirety. The documentary stems from a place of affection and respect, Lurie and Friedler giving us a compelling account of how this beloved entertainer tackled the darkest subjects. The duo trace the film's ill-fated progress which led to Lewis abandoning the project, or, did the project abandon him? It's generously illustrated with both behind-the-scenes footage of the film being made as well as raw footage from the film itself, presented mostly chronologically. The real coup here was their ability to get Jerry Lewis himself to sit down and talk at length about the trials and tribulations of making the film and its aftermath that haunted him to the grave. Painting a picture of a compelling story of Hollywood hubris that's by turns moving, shocking and blackly funny, whether or not The Day the Clown Cried will ever receive a release remains to be seen, but we can always hope.
Offbeat, a little unnerving and completely bizarre, Frauds sets a challenging tone for a supposed comedy from the offset with a bit of casual child death. However, when the film in question features Phil Collins talking into a Lego Phone rapidly intercut with extreme closeup shots of the woman on the other end, it's hard not to get invested in the madcap and wacky mania of it all. Stephan Elliott directs the film with a brilliant amount of Ozzy absurdism, the tones don't always mesh well together, jumping from between being a darkly comedic thriller to an outright horror but his pension for visual inventiveness more than makes up for it, playing like a sadistic funhouse ride. The performances all around are great, especially from Hugo Weaving but Collins steals the show and is easily the best part of the film, bringing an exorbitant amount of manic energy to his role, one that feels as if Phil the Shill from Miami Vice had gone completely loco, once again making me wish that he did more live-action roles. Granted the soundtrack is a bit naff, a bit too jaunty here and there and one that really could have used Phil's magic touch, but for all its faults, Frauds is a delightfully deranged little film, certainly a roll of the dice for its viewer but one that's a blast from start to end.
An utterly demented masterpiece of heavy-metal horror, Trick or Treat is a consummate demonstration of quality 80s horror, one that recognises that obsession can be fatal, even leading to the resurrection of your favourite artist as a Freddy Kruger-like serial killer. The directorial debut of Charles Martin Smith, the film is a gift that, despite being well-written, well-directed and visually inventive, is blessed with effects that capture the surrealism of Elm Street more than any of that film's sequels ever did. The film doesn't take itself too seriously and embraces its gothic glam rock aesthetics while marrying its visual design to a brilliantly poignant story built upon bullying, rejection and more. The acting all around is great with Marc Price, Skippy from Family Ties, delivering on the tormented victim turned reluctant hero role very well. At the same time, Tony Fields is awesome as the satan worshipping resurrected rockstar Sammi Curr and the film even features a cameo from Gene Simmons and one from Ozzy Osbourne that I still can't quite believe is real. Backed by a kick-ass, headbanger of a soundtrack courtesy of Fastway, it's hard enough not to recommend Trick or Treat to any passerby, it's a B-grade cult classic slice of greatness and I wouldn't have it any other way.