Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 25-8-2021: Tim Burton

25th August, 2021.

I went shopping, yesterday.

Shopping.

I always possibly spend a bit too much.

And always forget something.

Would you believe it … ?

Toothpaste.

I forgot toothpaste: and washing up liquid!

Oy … !

~≈🪥≈~

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children — A Review

11th January, 2020.

I have to admit, I think being out of a job can … well … 

Leave you in a funny mood, sometimes.

Thursday night, for example?

I tried sitting in with a film called The Wandering Earth.

And couldn’t get through more than half of it.

I’m frankly, blaming my extremely odd mood.

I just couldn’t sit still long enough for it.

Tonight, on the other hand … ?

Tonight, I still feel … slightly meh, to use a term … 

I did manage to catch a movie … 

Yes: you’ve possibly worked out which one.

I’ve been meaning to watching Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children for some time, now.

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 25th August, 2018

25th August, 2018.

Yes: I have says, I had a bad night, last night.

The innards were playing up.

Not something I like doing: as, as you’ve possibly guessed, it means losing money.

Pleasures of being a long term temp.

At any rate, there was an upside.

It meant getting a comparatively early night.

With a good read, before you ask.

Moorcock’s Behold the Man, so you know: about a time traveller going back in time to met Jesus.

It’s an interesting read, I should add: and very unlike his Elric stories.

And … ?

I think, were it to be filmed?   It would cause a bigger stink than The Last Temptation of Christ.

~≈§≈~

Sleepy Hollow

14th September, 2019

Hmmm …

Well, I must confess, it’s not often I write about a film I’ve seen, this far after the fact.

Not usually, anyway.

But one happy accident, about Fridge Freezer Weekend, is that not running the usual Movie Night meant me and Allison managed to catch a film ITV2 was showing, over the weekend.

The 1999 Tim Burton film, Sleepy Hollow.

And my word, isn’t that a film?

It’s certainly a treat for the eyes; something I know I’ve come to expect from Master Craftsman, Tim Burton.

Very much a visual treat!

I don’t know whether it’s the lighting, the film stock, or something Burton’s crew managed to pull off in post-production, but …

Well, I’m gonna try for a metaphor, here …

Imagine a very well drawn comic.

A well drawn, 19th Century comic.

One that’s been printed on very good quality, slightly cream coloured, paper-stock.

By someone like Basildon Bond.

Rather than on the usual pulp.

Hmmm …

Possibly, that’s not the best metaphor, is it? Calling it a sepia photo-comic book is maybe a better comparison.

But you get my point; Sleepy Hollow is rather unusual looking!

It definitely doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen before, I know that much!

I’d also say Sleepy Hollow is a very watchable movie, outside of the look of it!

Now I’ve never read the original Washington Irving short story, so I can’t actually tell you how different the two are.

But the Tim Burton movie is an entertaining ghost story, that follows Constable Ichabod Crane (Jommhy Depp*), sent to investigate some gruesome decapitations in the small town of Sleepy Hollow.

Which — according to the locals — are being committed by the headless ghost of a Hessian mercenary.

Seen, in the flashbacks before the ghost’s death, played by Christopher Walken, and, in headless ghost form, by Ray Parkesº.

Sleepy Hollow follows Crane’s very forensic efforts to catch what he thinks is a ‘normal’ murderer: finding that his assumptions are very wrong!

It looks like the locals are right: the killer isn’t exactly normal.

Or alive, for that matter … !

You know, it just occurred that Sleepy Hollow is Tim Burton’s take on the kind of small town American first tackled by David Lynch, in Twin Peaks.

Full of secrets, lies and unseen things.

But with more blood.

And less llamas.

But can I be honest, here?

Can I?

I loved this film!

To the point that, when I found out that ITV were repeating, the next day, I happily watched it, again!

Which sounds sad, I know, but there we go!

Sleepy Hollow is a bloody riveting watch!

Strange, emotional, gore-soaked …

But riveting …






*  Actually, this is possibly worth mentioning.   It strikes me that Johnny Depp must have been at the Sherlock Holmes novels: at least the way he played Crane seemed very much in the Scientific Detective mould.   Maybe I’m wrong there, but I’m willing to bet he did.   (There’s all sorts of rumours, about some of his other characterisations; Willy Wonka was supposed to be his take on Michael Jackson, for example.   As for a certain Captain Jack Sparrow, and a blues guitarist equally famed for falling out of coconut trees … Weeeeellllll …)

º  Yes, that Ray Parkes.   You know, Ray PARKES?   Darth Maul?   He of Big Red Double Ender fame?   Yes.   Him!