Monday 3 October 2016

The Darkness — Could Be Better … 

3rd October, 2016

You know, I’ve something of a confession to make.

I’m …

Well, not job-hunting, per se.   I’m now officially between jobs.

I got the rather good phone call, this morning: the interview I went for was successful: I start … as soon as I fill in the paper work, and email it back to the agency.

With that done … ?   In the morning, when I get to a printer!

With that done, I’ll be looking forward to a weekly income!

At any rate … ?   I felt I had an excuse to celebrate.

With no spending cash?   And NOT being a drinker?

Spending a little bit of credit on renting a movie from iTunes seemed to be the thing to do.

The film in question … ?

Was the 2016, Greg McLean directed, The Darkness.

Right here and now?

Yes, the title of THIS post … is accurate …

~≈Ë≈~

The Darkness opens by showing the Taylor family — Peter (Kevin Bacon), Bronny (Radha Mitchell), Stephanie (Lucy Fry) and Mikey (David Mazouz*) — on holiday with friends in the Grand Canyon.

Whilst the kids explore … ?   Whilst the kids explore, Mikey — the youngest of the family — winds up crashing through a sinkhole and into a cave.

And finds what looks suspiciously like an altar: with rocks on it.

Rocks …

With deeply ominous carvings on them!

Rocks that Mikey takes home in his backpack …

Deeply ominous rocks, found in an ancient Anasazi cave, under an especially curséd part of the Grand Canyon?

You can tell something’s going to happen, can’t you … ?

~≈Ë≈~

Now, about this post’s title … ?

I have to admit, I do like a good movie.

And, occasionally?

I’ve been known to find one.

On the other hand?

Occasionally, I’ve been know to find the odd … clunker.

The seriously bad, hopeless, or just plain clunky, ones?

Usually end up — under the four star rating I use — getting zero stars.

Some?

Don’t.

Those some will end getting 1 star: if only for making whatever I happen to feel is an impressive effort.

Absentia was one: it was done on the cheap: but was ALSO a film that I felt tried to be better than it’s budget allowed for.   It was something of a John Peel demo: not a perfect recording of the tune, but you could see that the band — or film makers, in this case — had talent, were making an effort and trying to learn how to record in a studio environment.

The Darkness, on the other hand?

I believe The Darkness was a well made film: cast and crew are/were professional enough to do a good job …

Of a film that I , personally felt we’d seen before: especially those of us who remembered 1982’s Poltergiest.

OK … It’s not a suburb built on an ancient Native American graveyard.

But it IS a bunch of Anglo-Americans messing with native traditions, and suffering as a results.

Yes, The Darkness isn’t a bad film: it’s not a complete zero, in other words.

But it could have been better.
The Darkness
★☆☆☆






*        David Mazous is possibly better known for playing Bruce Wayne, in the Batman prequel, Gotham: where, in one episode … ?   He falls into the Batcave.   He could end up getting typecast … 

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