(no subject)

I've long meant to see Blood Beach, a very modest horror movie which came out while I was living in the US. Having finally watched it I think the best thing that can be said about it is that it seldom embarrasses itself. There's not as much exploitation as I expected, and the monster is quite reasonable when finally revealed. That said, I did laugh out loud when the heroine, having inexplicably ventured alone into the creepy lair, ends up in a shower of body parts. The Heroic Acting Award goes to the Hero's Comedy Sidekick, who fights with convincing determination not to be eaten (while the silent bag lady character watches, too afraid to help).

What I'm wondering is how many of the movie's cliches were cliches at the time. Did audiences watching in 1981 understand that the Comedy Sidekick and Slutty Girlfriend were obviously going to be victims? The scientist who wants to study the monster, not sensibly destroy it, is sort of there - but the only objection he actually raises to blowing it to bits is in a scene where he... very slowly... ponders what... might happen... to the bits. Surely the "THE END... or is it?!" finale was already a familiar cliche - it was parodied in the contemporary Flash Gordon.

(no subject)

Educate the clueless middle class Australian. What marks Rose as working class? The way she speaks - her accent and the words and phrases she uses - and I guess her educational level and job. What else? Her clothes? Things I haven't even noticed? What about Jackie? Mickey? The Doctor?

One of those rare shows where there's nobody I fancy

I'm inventorying my VHS tapes, which are a hodge podge of things I've thought worth keeping over the last twenty years. I've just rewatched an episode of Forever Knight - to give you some idea of how long ago I recorded it, there's an FK gag in Vampire Science, but no references to Buffy the series.

Anywho, the episode, Close Call, turns out to be a bottle story and a clips show done to give Geraint Wyn Davies a week off - vampire detective Nick Knight spends the episode sleeping on his couch, while Schanke finally puts two and two together. For a casual FK fan, it's a fun smorgasbord of good bits from earlier stories, but to my pleasure there's more to it than that - LaCroix's use of simple psychology makes you realise why he's the Vampire Master. (The entire point of this show is that we know Nick's a vamp and his partner doesn't, causing a continual flow of wry gags. Intriguingly, LaCroix never lies to Schanke.) There's also a nasty little twist at the end which I distinctly remember made me jump.

Another Heroic Acting Award really ought to go to Catherine Disher, who somehow manages to retain her dignity whatever silliness she's plonked down into. Plus she says "aboot" from time to time which makes me smile.

Wars which should happen:

1. Bronze vs Raven dance-off
2. Nick Knight vs Michael Knight kickboxing
3. Spike vs LaCroix hair styling championship
4. Drusilla vs Jeanette fashion parade
5. Schanke vs all of Summerdale obliviousness olympics