21st September, 2015.
You know, there’s times when a film seems like a good idea.
No, really.
I’ve had a day off, today. I’ve done some minimal shopping, put in a little work into a #Teaser slideshow — tomorrow’s, at least — and done some cleaning up around the flat.
Oh … and ripped a couple of DVDs.
Which regular readers will guess I’d’ve been doing!
They would ALSO have guessed — possibly — that I’ve had a free evening, tonight.
A free evening, and iTunes credit.
And NOTHING on TV …
Well …
Bar the potted history of archaeology that’s showing at the moment …
At ANY rate … ? I was in the mood for a short movie: something to occupy my mind, hopefully good and entertaining, and — on top of that — visually appealing.
That’s what I wanted.
‘Oh dear’ is the right choice of words, I think.
~≈Á≈~
Filmed in a faux 1950s style, Hellmouth tells us the story of Charlie Baker*: a gravedigger who’s both terminally ill.
AND due to retire.
Indeed, he’s got the brochures for some much wanted time in Florida.
Until he gets a visit from his boss, Mr Whinny.
Mr Whinny needs him to take over the Forks to Heaven graveyard.
It’s lost at least three of Charlie’s predecessors.
Whinny … Needs Charlie to step in.
It’s only when Charlie stops to pick up a hitch-hiker on his way to his new posting, that things get …
Muddled …
Hmm …
There’s a word …
~≈Á≈~
Because, you see, muddled is possibly the best word I can give you, to describe Hellmouth.
Stephen McHattie, as Charlie?
Is fine: does a fine job as Charlie. The rest of the cast are … well, OK: even if no-one stands out for me.
Visually?
Visually, Hellmouth is a beautiful thing to look at: although something I found a bit — or maybe VERY — derivative of Sin City.
And one I’ thought was going to be on a par with an earlier McHattie film.
I’d rented Hellmouth, having a very good impression of Pontypool: an earlier collaboration between McHattie, and writer Tony Burgess.
But, where I found Pontypool to be a superb piece of work, Hellmouth … was a good looking mess.
It’s now flaw of the dialogue: more the very patchy plotting.
That seems very … well …
Muddled … !
With a bit more work, Hellmouth could — like Pontypool before it — be a fantastic film.
It could have been a fantastic re-telling of the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Unfortunately?
It’s a good looking mess!
Hellmouth
★☆☆☆
* Stephen McHattie.
Just as a final thought … ?
ReplyDeleteOne of the critics quoted on Hellmouth’s Wikipedia entry describes it as having a ‘muddled second half.’
I’m not sure I completely agree. But do agree the fact the film’s plot has two distinct plots going on.
The first half looks like a straight alien invasion story: although, admittedly, one that involves demons rather than Martians.
It THEN changes, roughly half way through, into a retelling of the Orpheus in the Underworld story.
That I think that is something that contributes to Hellmouth’s incoherence.