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Willem Dafoe

Dead for a Dollar: Worth a Buck… but Not Much More

September 30, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

I reckon that I’ll always have a soft spot for westerns. 

While they have all but disappeared in recent years, there’s no question that the western is still with us, even if we don’t know it.. Having morphed into more modern forms such as science fiction or even superhero films, the tropes of the western remain. Bounty hunters trying to make a buck, a mysterious hero from the outskirts and an endless parade of outlaws have all embedded themselves in other genres. Even so, there’s something special about a shoot-out at the OK Corral amidst the dry, dusty landscapes of the Old West. 

And Dead for a Dollar wants very much to be considered a modern classic. 

Directed by Walter Hill, Dead for a Dollar tells the story of bounty hunter Max Borlund (Christoph Waltz) as he’s approached by wealthy businessman, Martin Kidd (Hamish Linklater). Kidd is furious that his wife has been abducted by a former soldier and wants Borlund to bring her home. After accepting the job, Borlund soon discovers that what he has been told may not be true and he must choose whether or not he’ll fulfill his contractual obligations.

Shot using sepia colours, Dollar wants you to feel as though you are set adrift in the wilderness and it unapologetically leans into the tropes of a genre that feel all but forgotten. Stars Willam Dafoe and Waltz are clearly having a lot of fun putting on their cowboy boots and their characters have a story to tell. Unfortunately, the script is muddled and plods along as slowly as a gunslinger on a cattle drive, preventing it from becoming truly memorable.

And ma’am, this here’s a cryin’ shame. Because Dollar is different than a lot of things going for it.

Whereas most traditional westerns focus primarily on the authority and power of the white man with the gun, Dollar chooses instead to empower everyone. Although Borlund may be the film’s protagonist, he’s far from alone and has no claims to any authority. As such, he’s more progressive in his views than the culture. Issues of race and gender mean little to him as he treats everyone with the same respect. 

To him, the most important thing is the job that he’s been paid to do.

In this way, Borlund remains a man of integrity, even if he carries does his dealings with his finger on the trigger. To him, doing what’s right is as important as honouring your contract and he is willing to walk the line between the two worlds. He believes that everyone has the right to live and, although he doesn’t pick up a badge to defend that view, he conducts his business in a way that honours it.

In this way, too, the film also elevates the concept of freedom within the Old West. Although the world exists with a ‘shoot first’ mentality, freedom isn’t about conquest. Instead, it’s about individualism. Women have the right to choose for themselves how they shall live and African Americans are considered free, even if the old guard refuses to acknowledge it. 

In Dollar, to be free has everything to do with empowerment, as opposed to power.

So even though Dollar has all the fixins’ for something special, it’s likely that it’ll blow away in our memories like a tumbleweed. 

Dead for a Dollar is available in theatres and on VOD on Friday, September 30th, 2022.

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Christoph Waltz, Dead for a Dollar, Willem Dafoe

Spider-Man: No Way Home – A Hero for Everyone

April 12, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

When Marvel unleashed Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021, I’m sure they knew it was going to be a hit… but could anyone have expected what came next?

More than fun and fury, No Way Home not only became a financial juggernaut, it almost single-handedly saved the 2021 theatrical box office. All of a sudden, this was not your average Marvel success. It became the #6 highest grossing hit of all time. (Seriously. Let that sink in for a moment.)

Who knew Spidey was the measure to which all MCU films would be held moving forward?

Taking place immediately after the final moments of Spider-Man: Far From Home, No Way Home leans into the fallout of having the Webcrawler’s identity revealed to the world. Under constant scrutiny by those who believe he murdered Mysterio, Peter Parker seeks out the help of fellow Avenger, Dr. Strange. After Peter asks him to cast a spell that will make people forget his identity, the good Doctor reluctantly helps. However, when the spell goes wrong, the effects on space/time are devastating. As other characters from the multiverse sneak into their own world, Parker must attempt to capture his mysterious foes before its too late.

There’s really no other way to say it. Despite building hype over the past few years, Spider-Man: No Way Home somehow manages to deliver the goods. Once again directed by Jon Watts, the conclusion to the ‘Home Trilogy’ balances epic scale Marvel action sequences and intimate character-driven moments that work on a number of levels. While Marvel sometimes has a tendency to sacrifice storytelling for the sake of action sequences (and vice versa), No Way Home finds a way to incorporate them into one another in such a way that they actually impact each other. (This is especially true in the film’s third act ‘mega-battle’, which actually furthers the emotional arc of the films characters.) After three films, Watts cares enough about this franchise to tell a story that means something to his team and the results are spectacular. Seamlessly blending genres and generations together, Watts creates an epic finale but never sacrifices the soul of his characters in the process.

Of course, No Way Home is an absolute nostalgia-fest for every fan of the Spidey-franchise over the last 20 years. For years, people of debated which iteration of the cinematic Spidey-verse is superior to the others. Here though, Marvel gets to celebrate them all in one big party. This is a festival of all things Spidey that should delight three eras of superhero filmgoers at the same time. 

Even if Peter Parker has No Way Home, this film is a welcome homecoming for many old friends.

However, while nostalgia may be fun for everyone, what makes the film work is that their appearances are relevant to the story through some sharp writing. By bringing back familiar faces in new situations, No Way Home could have simply devolved into a fanservice mess yet their appearances somehow further developing their original story arcs. (Returning villains like Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx and Alfred Molina are allowed the chance to develop their characters further without detracting from their original stories. In fact, Marvel arguably elevates their previous material in the process.)

At the same time, the film becomes a perfect finale for this chapter of the Spider-Man story. Throughout his three Spider-films, Watts has done a (mostly) impressive job spinning interesting stories for the Wallcrawler. Whereas Homecoming told a small and intimate tale of a young boy who simply dreams of becoming an Avenger and Far From Home showed that young man trying to balance his life, No Way Home takes that journey even further. Having almost literally grown up onscreen before our eyes, Holland has exemplified the youthful enthusiasm that we expect from the character. In No Way Home, further completes his coming-of-age into a true Spider-Man as opposed to Spider-Teen. Having moved through high school, Holland’s Spider-Man is now faced with understanding what it truly takes to be a hero. In No Way Home, Parker has to make decisions about his life and the safety of his friends that he would have been unable to make earlier on in the franchise. Without giving away any spoilers, this iteration of Spider-Man needed to learn what it means to sacrifice himself out of love for others. 

Why? Because that’s what heroes do.

However, No Way Home is also about second chances. Although most superhero films of the last two decades have featured heroes battling unsalvageable villains, No Way Home actually makes a point of arguing that everyone deserves a chance at redemption. Rather than writing off these villains as ‘bad guys’, Holland’s Spidey is challenged to view them as more. Here, iconic villains like Doc Ock, Green Goblin and Electro show their vulnerability and humanity more effectively than they have in other films. 

What if the ‘bad guys’ are actually the ‘lost guys’?

There’s a sensibility to this film that, maybe, anyone can change. Despite the ‘fate’ that they are dealt, No Way Home allows the opportunity for a crack in the villainous armor. Despite the negative tone of its title, No Way Home wants to believe that there is a new way for anyone who chooses it. Maybe, regardless of their past actions, there’s an opportunity for these villains to find hope. For Parker, maybe these villains are more than the sum of their darkness.

Admittedly, the special features are a little scant for a film that is–again–the #6 box office draw of all time. However, there are some fun things of note. Alternative Reality Easter Eggs looks to point the viewer in the direction of things they’ve missed and Spider-Men Unite and A Meeting of the Spiders help give the audience more of the Spidey trio that excited the world. Other than that, there’s not a tonne worth noting… but the film is so ridiculously fun, it’s almost not worth noting any disappointment in this area.

While the nostalgia is fun and action is well-executed, it’s the conversations about hope and heroism in Spider-Man: No Way Home that truly leave a mark. Wrapping up this chapter of the MCU’s Spidey-Verse, Watts completes the emotional arc that he began about a crew of high school kids learning how to grow up. But he also manages to tread new ground for characters that we already felt we knew. Leaning into hope for the ‘bad guys’, the film gives Spidey the chance to try to help everyone, not just his friends in his neighbourhood. 

Because that’s what heroes do.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is available on 4K, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital on Tuesday, April 12th, 2022.

Filed Under: DVD, Featured, Film, Reviews, VOD Tagged With: Alfred Molina, Benedict Cumberbatch, Disney, Dr. Strange, Jamie Foxx, JK Simmons, Marvel, MCU, Peter Parker, spider-man, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Verse, tom holland, Willem Dafoe, Zendaya

GIVEAWAY! SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME on Blu-Ray!

April 11, 2022 by Steve Norton 4 Comments

Let’s ScreenFish help you catch a spider…
Thanks to our friends at TARO PR, we’re giving away a copy of Spider-Man: No Way Home on Blu-Ray!

Taking place immediately after the final moments of Spider-Man: Far From Home, No Way Home leans into the fallout of having the Webcrawler’s identity revealed to the world. Under constant scrutiny by those who believe he murdered Mysterio, Peter Parker seeks out the help of fellow Avenger, Dr. Strange. After Peter asks him to cast a spell that will make people forget his identity, the good Doctor reluctantly helps. However, when the spell goes wrong, the effects on space/time are devastating. As other characters from the multiverse sneak into their own world, Parker must attempt to capture his mysterious foes before its too late.

In order to enter, simply like/share this post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and tell us your favourite Spider-Man actor!

Winners will receive a 4K copy of Spider-Man: No Way Home

All entries must be received by 11:59pm on Wednesday, April 13th, 2022

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Giveaways Tagged With: Andrew Garfield, Jamie Foxx, spider-man, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Toby Maguire, tom holland, Willem Dafoe, Zendaya

Tommaso – Too Much Imagination?

June 4, 2020 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

In Abel Ferrara’s Tommaso, the lines between imagination and reality are never clearly demarcated. That is true not only for the viewer, but, as the film progresses, it is an increasingly difficult boundary for the protagonist to navigate.

Tommaso (Willem Dafoe) is an American ex-pat living in Rome with his European wife Nikki (Cristina Chiriac) and their three year old daughter, Deedee. He fits in fairly well within the Italian culture, although he continues to be tutored in the language. He teaches acting students and is working on a screenplay for his next project. He’s been sober for six years and continues to attend a weekly AA meeting. However, he still struggles with various obsessions. He (like Ferrara) practices Buddhism, but also has connection to the Christian story. He has some frustrations and some fantasies, but early on they seem fairly normal and innocuous.

In one of his classes with acting students, he speaks about the exercises they have been doing and mentions a double focus—about being balanced between control and abandon. That balance may explain Tommaso’s own attempt at living life fully. But when he begins to lose that balance and allows his imagination to go places that aren’t helpful, he begins to lose the life he wants.

We often left guessing about what is or is not real, like when he goes to get an expresso and the server is naked. There are a couple of scenes in which Tommaso is playing out parts of Jesus’ passion, including a crucifixion, which conjures up memories of Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ. Are those scenes rehearsals for some project, or just what is going on in his head?

While much of the film seems to be a simple story of a man moving through his daily routines, we slowly begin to see that his imagination may be altering his understanding of reality. As this happens we see a disintegration in his relationship with Nikki and perhaps his sanity.

Dafoe, as always, is excellent in his role. But the world around him and the other characters are never fully fleshed out. That made it hard to fully understand the struggle that drives Tommaso through the film.

Tommaso is available on virtual cinema at Kino Marquee (which supports your local art house).

Photos courtesy of Kino Lorber

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: AA, Abel Ferrara, Italy, Willem Dafoe

The Heart of a Survivor: 1on1 with Julianne Nicholson (TOGO)

December 18, 2019 by Steve Norton 1 Comment

Set to debut on Disney+, Togo tells the amazing true story of Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe), a champion dogsled trainer who is tasked with delivering anti-toxin serum to the town of Nome, Alaska when a deadly epidemic strikes. Faced with impossible odds, Seppala turns to Togo, an unassuming, undersized and aging Siberian huskey to lead the mission. Viewed as the runt of the litter, Togo has been championed by Seppala’s wife, Constance (Julianne Nicholson) since his days as a mischievous puppy who could dig himself out of any situation and Seppala, having observed Togo’s loyalty and tenacious spirit, knows the lovable and courageous dog offers his only chance of surviving this mission. Asked what initially drew her to the film, star Julianne Nicholson jumped at the chance work with Dafoe and play a confident, caring woman at the same time.

“When I read it, I knew that Willem was already attached so already I was interested at the possibility. Then, I read the story and thought it was amazing. I couldn’t believe it was a true story and one that had not been told before. I really liked the relationship between Seppala and Constance. So often in a story like this, where it’s a man and his dog, the female character is sort of sitting at home and keeping the home fires burning while, in this story, I felt like they have a real partnership. She was a big part of keeping that farm running from day to day. I just liked how they listened to each other and could have differences of opinions but the love and trust were very much there.” 

Of course, while working with Dafoe was an exciting aspect of the project, one of the more unique challenges was working with the dogs themselves. (As the old adage goes, you should ‘never work with kids or animals’.) Even so, Nicholson valued her time with the dogs and found working with them to be a special experience.

“It definitely brings up challenges just because, as trained as they are, it’s an animal,” she warns. “At any given moment, if it doesn’t want to do something, no one’s interested in trying to force it cause that’s never going to happen. It was kind of amazing. The puppies are so cute and could do no wrong so anything that they were doing made sense and had everybody oohing and ahh-ing every day. (Diesel, who plays Togo, was the direct descendant of Togo so that felt pretty special to have him there.) It was definitely a lesson in patience but also in staying present and being open. So, it was really fun.” 

“To be around [the dogsled dogs] and watch them with their owners was really spectacular because they’re so strong, so energetic, and such athletes. When they would be hooked up to the sled, it would just be barking, jumping, [and] just totally ready to go. It’s all they wanted to do. Then they would run and, at the end, it’s a good workout. They would be just flopping around and rolling over on their backs to get their tummies scratched and falling asleep on anyone who would get near them.” 

Interestingly, Nicholson notes that there were differences between the sled dogs and what they referred to as ‘Hollywood dogs’ (or those trained to act within the film industry). Asked what those were, she feels that most of the differences come down to the expectations that were being placed on the animals.

“Well, [the dogs] have different things that are being asked of them,” says Nicholson. “So, the sled dogs were basically being filmed doing what they do every day so they don’t have to do anything differently and their trainers were there. It gets trickier when you’re inside a cabin and you’re asking Diesel to walk from here to here and look at Willem for 30 to 90 seconds. That starts getting challenging. So yeah, there were definitely different needs from the different dogs.” 

Though Disney is known for its many films featuring talking animals (such as Disney+’s own live-action Lady and the Tramp), Togo takes a different approach with its beloved animals. Rather than personify them, the film allows the pets to simply be themselves. In retrospect, Nicholson argues that this is also one of the key reasons that the film resonates so well with viewers.

“It’s one of the things that I love about this movie and actually why I think it’s gets under your skin,” she claims. “We’re not giving them the traits of a person. We’re letting them be animals, recognizing the beauty in that and just the openness, loyalty and the love that you get from a dog without trying to personify it.” 

However, in light of this, it’s also worth noting that, although the animals may not be given ‘human’ characteristics, they are also portrayed as heroes. For example, in one moment, Constance notes that Togo has the ‘heart of a survivor’, a comment that Nicholson believes serves as an accurate description.

“Togo was the runt of the litter and nothing was really expected of him,” she explains. “Oftentimes the runt of the litter is just going to be a problem. They wouldn’t necessarily nurture the runt to help keep it around because it was just going to be weak. It was just going to be a burden. But Constance sees something in this dog that’s sort of unknowable or unnameable and that proved to be correct. What a thing, with survival of the fittest and what have you, if that’s one of the things that goes along in that, it’s valuable, “

In addition to working with Dafoe and the animals, one of the appealing aspects to working on the project for Nicholson was the chance to work with director Ericson Core. Serving also as the film’s cinematographer, Cole uses his love of nature and wealth of experience shooting the outdoors in a way that brings the film to life onscreen.

According to Nicholson, “[Ericson] has a long history and love affair as an admiration for nature and being in nature. I think he’s not only been a camper his whole life but [also gone off] the beaten path and been on his own for weeks in the wilderness. So, he really has a love for nature [itself] and man in nature. As well, he has a connection to the animal part of the story. He himself had a wolf for many years and so I think he recognized something in the relationship between Seppala and Togo. He is just an earnest, thoughtful guy. Then, also having started out as a [Director of Photography], [he had] the experience of doing action [and] incredible shots in outmost nature, so he had the experience and the heart to tell this story.” 

With that in mind, one can imagine the challenges of shooting the film in the midst of the potentially harsh conditions of the Canadian Rockies. While many of her scenes take place on the home sets, Nicholson remembers that the unpredictability of weather created some difficult circumstances.
“The Canadian Rockies are breathtaking…,” she recalls. “I didn’t have much difficulty within the landscape because much of my stuff is in and around the home front but weather did create a lot of turmoil throughout. We were there in the fall and early winter and they needed those fall months to be able to show the passing of time in our story. We didn’t want it all in one season because we’re telling the story in 1913 and in 1925. Then on day three of filming in first week of October, there was snow storm that dropped two feet of snow. So suddenly our fall is gone and we had to sort of go into the cabin. So that was in my experience that found the big challenge was weather.” 

In addition, Nicholson also points out that many sequences were shot with little (if any) CGI in order to maintain the sense of realism within the film.

“Willem and Ericson could speak much more to all the action stuff that they had and being on the ice,” she clarifies. “One thing I do know is that we had no green screens and very little in the way of CGI. In that ice sequence, of course, there’s some there because you can’t put our actors and the dogs in peril. But they filmed that on a frozen lake. Even if they weren’t on a stage, they weren’t doing it on asphalt and then putting it onto ice. Also, when they’re climbing up in the mountains and the sled starts going downhill, they did outside and the Canadian Rockies on the head of a cliff. They weren’t dangling, of course. They weren’t in the same predicament, but they really did much of the action practically. I think for me, when I watched it, that was so thrilling. I had read the story of course, but I didn’t, I couldn’t expect that it was going to be as breathtaking as it was.” 

For full audio of our interview with Julianne Nicholson, click here.

Togo launches onto Disney+ on Friday, December 20th, 2019.

Filed Under: Disney+, Interviews, Podcast Tagged With: Canadian Rockies, Disney, Julianne Nicholson, Togo, Willem Dafoe

Motherless Brooklyn: Pulling at the Thread of Power

October 31, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Directed and adapted for the screen by Edward Norton, Motherless Brooklyn tells the story of Lionel Essrog (Norton), a Brooklyn detective in post-war New York. Working with street smart private investigator Frank Minna (Bruce Willis), Lionel (who also goes by the name Brooklyn) and his team uncover the truth for hire. However, when Minna is shot and left for dead, Lionel determines to unravel the mystery, plunging him into a Brooklyn underworld riddled with crime, corruption and colourful characters. As his quest for truth leads him further up New York’s ladder of power, Lionel’s investigation is complicated by his Tourette syndrome, which leaves him prone to compulsive behavioural tics and inappropriate verbal outbursts.

Adapted from the 1999 novel of the same name, Brooklynis a tightly written throwback film to classic Hollywood’s noir films like The Big Sleep or Chinatown. With a stellar cast and tightly written script, Norton creates a world which feels both foreign and familiar. While the film transports the audience back to 1950s New York, it also feels current in today’s culture, highlighting racial tensions and the growing divide between the upper and lower classes. In Motherless Brooklyn, power is a drug that gives people the freedom to ‘do whatever they want, whenever they want’ but it’s also short in supply. Divided by racial and financial lines, Brooklyn is a city on the brink of chaos.Those that have little power are struggling to make their voices heard while those who have much fight ferociously to maintain it. 

As Brooklyn himself, Norton’s performance is sharp, engaging, and loving. At the same time, the character becomes a metaphor for the town for which he’s named. Plagued by Tourette Syndrome, Brooklyn feels as though there’s a chaos in his mind that bubbles over and has to be released. While the casual passerby may not immediately notice Brooklyn’s struggle, his mental chaos inevitably reveals itself. With this in mind, the film clearly draws a line between his character and the city itself, as its own unseen chaos can’t help but overflow from the underground. Diffused lighting and growing shadows point to tension between light and darkness, as Brooklyn (the character) attempts to uncover the truth about Brooklyn (the city). Like his compulsion to pull on the threads of his sweater, Brooklyn also must unravel the web of deception until the facts about his city is revealed.

Furthermore, the film also does not shy away from engaging in the complexities of Brooklyn’s mental health issues. Bullied as a child for his affliction, Brooklyn has always been the one that was pitied by others. After Minna’s death, Brooklyn becomes seen by others primarily for his mental affliction as they constantly try to ‘look out’ for him, rationalizing that he needs their protection. Frustrated by his inability to control his mind and constantly reminded of the burden he is by others, Brooklyn remains ashamed and embarrassed by his behaviour. 

Conversely, however, while clearly struggling with his mental illness, he also recognizes its value. Despite the chaos within him, his Tourettes is also what makes him a great detective by forcing him to ‘pull on the thread’ of truth and allowing him to retain incredible amounts of information. What’s more, the film even paints a portrait of Tourette syndrome with an element of beauty by highlighting the musical aspect of Brooklyn’s mental chaos. (For example, this comparison is highlighted when, in one particularly poignant scene, Brooklyn’s inadvertent vocables cause him to become a participant in a jazz ensemble.)

Featuring strong performances and well-written script, Motherless Brooklyn is an entertaining and engaging return to the noir genre. Under the Norton’s direction, the film is also impressive visually, as the shadows and darkness of New York’s underworld are constantly warring against the light of truth. 

Motherless Brooklyn unravels the mystery in theatres on November 1st, 2019.

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, film noir, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Leslie Mann, Motherless Brooklyn, TIFF, TIFF19, Willem Dafoe

The Lighthouse: The [Self]Destruction of Darkness

October 24, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse follows the journey of Winslow (Pattinson) and Wake (Dafoe), two lighthouse keepers, who try to maintain their sanity while living in isolation on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Tightly written and directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch), The Lighthouse is a fascinating piece that feels like a throwback to classic post-War noir films. Unlike most modern horror films that insist on bombarding the senses, the film is a slow descent into madness highlighted by strong performances from its cast and a striking visual style. Shot on black and white 35mm film, Lighthouse echoes classic Hitchcock films like Psycho and Rear Window by allowing its characters to slowly lose themselves to their circumstances. What’s more, by shooting in a 1:19 : 1 ratio, the film visually reinforces the claustrophobic atmosphere between the two leads as they battle for screen presence. 

Due to the intensity of the relationship between them, the performances of the two leads become even more pivotal to the film and, thankfully, both men are up to the task. While Dafoe has remained a gifted actor for decades now, Pattison continues to mature into a fine performer as well. As the sea rages around them, both actors thunder away at each other onscreen with a rising fury as secrets are revealed and both characters become increasingly unhinged.

Through its visuals and narrative, Lighthouse is most intent on exploring whether one can ever truly escape their own darkness. Taking the position at the lighthouse to start over, Winslow is a man who is determined to prove his worth. He works hard, keeps to himself and simply wants to reset his life on the mainland. (This serves as a direct contrast to Wake who, despite his past, has simply given in to his role on the island.) However, after a questionable decision appears to set the spiritual realm against them, Winslow and Wake find themselves at the mercy of the ever-raging sea. Despite Winslow’s desire to return home and start over, the evil around (and within) them continues to grow, giving failure a sense of inevitability. In this world, the realities of grace and mercy become elusive myths and the sins of our past dictate who we are in the present. For Winslow, hope becomes a boat that may never reach him as the sea grows angrier. In the midst of a furious storm, Winslow finds himself torn as he desperately seeks the secret of the light yet remains trapped within the darkness. 

Filled with psychological terror and bold imagery, The Lighthouse shines brightly. Caught in the grip of a pseudo spiritual enemy, Winslow and Wake fight and claw for supremacy against elements and each other. 

The Lighthouse dives into madness in theatres beginning October 18th, 2019

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: horror, Robert Eggers, Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse, Willem Dafoe

Creating Historical Horror: 1on1 with Robert Eggers (THE LIGHTHOUSE)

October 22, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse follows the journey of Winslow (Pattinson) and Wake (Dafoe), two lighthouse keepers, who try to maintain their sanity while living in isolation on a remote island off the coast of Maine. The Lighthouse is a fascinating piece that feels like a throwback to classic post-War noir films. Echoing classic Hitchcock films like Psycho and Rear Window, Eggers states that it was the film’s unique setting that first drew him to the project. 

“It was the atmosphere and the idea of these two guys in a lighthouse in black and white that made me interested. Then, it was about finding the things that are scary about this setting and indulging in them. Certainly, every little kid knows the first time they get like sucked under a wave that she wins every time. Mother nature is for real.” 

While he was developing his vision for the film, Eggers knew that he needed two men who could handle the material and bring the intensity in their conflicts with one another. Using these criteria, it was an easy decision for him to pursue both Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson for the key roles. 

“I had wanted to do something with Willem and he had shockingly wanted to do something with me. Same with Rob,” he explains. “I [once] offered Robert role in one of the movies that didn’t get made as sort of a posh, cigar-smoking Victorian dandy and he said ‘no thanks. I like something that’s actually challenging and strange.’ So, when The Lighthouse became something that looked like was actually going to get made, who else are you going to call? There’s no question that they’re the appropriate people for these roles… I find it funny that people still kind of say, ‘Oh, after Twilight, Rob’s finally doing some stuff.’ Man, have you been paying attention? He’s a great actor.” 

Shooting in a 1:19:1 aspect ratio on black and white film, The Lighthouse visually reinforces the claustrophobic atmosphere between the two leads as they battle for screen presence. Asked when he decided to shoot the film in such a unique and unsettling format, Eggers claims that those cinematic choices were always a part of his vision for the film.

“From the beginning, it was black and white, [with a] 35 millimeter negative,” he expounds. “It was seven years from the first time I started talking about this until it got made, [so] we thought about different things. There were versions that would have been really more self-consciously degraded looking but it was a process of us pitching different ideas back and forth and then finding out what was actually feasible and affordable. This film is so heavy handed. We made a lot of strong choices and we’re sticking to them even if they’re over the top.”

Interestingly, with The Witch and now The Lighthouse, Eggers’ first two features have been ‘period pieces’. When he thinks about what it is about history that makes it so scary, Eggers contends that the true horror of human nature stems from our inability to learn from our past“History is terrifying because human beings do bad things all the time and the further we are away from different epox, they either look romantic or more horrifying. [Then,] we don’t tend to learn from the past. So, it’s nice for me to understand where we are and where we’re going by looking at where we came from.” 

As these characters slowly descend into madness, Eggers’ film explores the nature and origins of power and hyper-masculinity when two titans are pitted against one another.

“My ‘go-to’ quote is ‘Nothing good happens when two men are trapped in a giant phallus.’ [laughs] But there is a lot of truth in that. There is all of this heteronormative masculine energy and erotic energy that is bubbling up with nowhere to go so it’s going to explode and come out somehow.” 

Ironically, given the film’s intense vibes and madness, one of the more underrated qualities of the film is its underlying humour. In the midst of a heightened environment with wild situations, The Lighthouse also brings an unexpected amount of levity to its script.

“Tarkovsky has almost no humor in his movies, but one of his idols is Dostoyevsky is hilarious,” Eggers illuminates. “Being miserable is hilarious. So, as my brother and I were writing the script, we really wanted to embrace that. Rob and Willem are incredible comedians. In fact, when we were shooting it, I kept saying to the editor like, ‘I think this is too funny.’”

Of course, due to the film’s emphasis on the otherworldly nature of the elements, one would expect that shooting would come with its challenges. 

“Really, there was never really an easy scene,” Eggers recalls. “Even when we moved into this stage, the producers, financiers and the bond company came in we said ‘we’re going to pick it up’ and we had to say no because actually these are all extremely long-oners with elaborate choreographies. There was nothing easy.” 

“One thing that I haven’t talked about was when the mermaid appears on the beach, the tides move really quickly and Valeriia [Karaman], as a mermaid in a prosthetic, can’t walk. So, we have all these guys walking her out to the rocks to place her and we had the rain machine going. We can just see, minute after minute, that these huge crashing waves are getting closer and closer and we’re just trying to shoot this thing before the waves come and wash our mermaid into the Atlantic Ocean. That was incredibly stressful.” 

With this in mind, one of the film’s more interesting (and unique) characters comes in the form of a seagull that plagues Winslow. While working with animals is never easy, Eggers says that he was shocked at how well the birds performed.

“The seagulls were amazing,” he remembers. “There were three birds that played ‘One Eye’… [and] they were incredibly smart and well trained. The trainer was always giving us low expectations of what the birds could do and saying that they are very sensitive. But then the first thing we did was the bird landing on the window sill, pecking three times and flying away. Amazingly, it just… did it… with no CG and, and we thought ‘wow.’ It’s never easy shooting with animals [but] they were cool. “

Willem Dafor, Robert Pattinson The Lighthouse A24

Since the film takes place in a lonely lighthouse, it should come as no surprise that one of the key themes of the film is the tension between light and darkness. For Eggers, much of the mystery surrounding the mystical light grew out of his appreciation for the physical lens itself.

“I wanted the lighthouse and the cottage in the lighthouse station to be a total [dump],” he illuminates. “In truth, in the 1890s, it would have been really difficult to have a lighthouse station in such disrepair because, in the United States, lighthouse establishment was like run like a military organization. They constantly had inspectors checking in on things. We invented the idea that this was so remote that the inspectors [just ignored it]. I didn’t set it earlier when the lighthouse would be in such disrepair because I wanted the foghorn with that sound and I wanted the Fresnal lens, which is the lens in the beacon.”

“It’s hard to believe that those were invented in the 1860s (I believe) because they look like art deco, jewel spaceships. I felt that that object is so romantic and mysterious and hypnotic that, if we had that, there would be a secret in the light, whatever it may be. In fact, our DP, Jared, and I went to one of the few lighthouses in North America that has a working Fresnal lens. I truly believe it was not just because we were working on this movie, but we could have stared at the thing all night. It’s so stunning, you know?” 

While much of modern horror opts to focus itself on gore or ‘jump scares’, The Lighthouse‘s emphasis on its characters’ descent into madness feels far more similar to classic sci-fi horror films of the post-War era. Nevertheless, Eggers also believes that this film allowed him to establish more of his own style, rather than rely exclusively on the greats that came before.

“Hitchcock was not a deliberate influence though he was certainly one of our teachers… I was also pleased to see this movie that put David Lynch’s oeuvre into [this] context… I think the cinematic influences, even the ones that I’ve never seen, are fairly clear. I do think that The Witch wears its influences on its sleeve in a way that feels much more like a first feature. I feel like, for me personally, I’ve integrated my influences a little more [in The Lighthouse] and it feels like you can see what they are, but I feel like I’m doing a better job becoming myself in this one, which I’ll hopefully get better at.” 

For full audio of our interview with Robert Eggers, click here.

The Lighthouse dives into madness in theatres beginning October 25th, 2019

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Interviews, TIFF Tagged With: Hitchcock, horror, Robert Eggers, Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse, Willem Dafoe

TIFF ’19: Motherless Brooklyn

September 14, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Written and directed by Edward Norton, Motherless Brooklyn tells the story of Lionel Essrog (Norton), a Brooklyn detective in post-war New York. Working with street smart private investigator Frank Minna (Bruce Willis), Lionel (who also goes by the name Brooklyn) and his team uncover the truth for hire. However, when Minna is shot and left for dead, Lionel determines to unravel the mystery, plunging him into a Brooklyn underworld riddled with crime, corruption and colourful characters. As his quest for truth leads him further up New York’s ladder of power, Lionel’s investigation is complicated by his Tourette syndrome, which leaves him prone to compulsive behavioural tics and inappropriate verbal outbursts.

Adapted from the 1999 novel of the same name, Brooklyn is a tightly written throwback film to classic Hollywood’s noir films like The Big Sleep or Chinatown. With a stellar cast and tightly written script, Norton creates a world which feels both foreign and familiar. While the film transports the audience back to 1950s New York, it also feels current in today’s culture, highlighting racial tensions and the growing divide between the upper and lower classes. Divided by racial and financial lines, Brooklyn is a city on the brink of chaos.Those that have little power are struggling to make their voices heard while those who have much fight ferociously to maintain it. 

As Brooklyn himself, Norton’s performance is sharp, engaging, and loving. At the same time, the character becomes a metaphor for the town for which he’s named. Diffused lighting and growing shadows point to tension between light and darkness, as Brooklyn (the character) attempts to uncover the truth about Brooklyn (the city). Like his compulsion to pull on the threads of his sweater, Brooklyn also must unravel the web of deception until the facts about his city is revealed.

Featuring strong performances and well-written script, Motherless Brooklyn is an entertaining and engaging return to the noir genre. Under the Norton’s direction, the film is also impressive visually, as the shadows and darkness of New York’s underworld are constantly warring against the light of truth. 

Motherless Brooklyn is currently playing at the Toronto International Film Festival. For more screenings, click here. 

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Premieres, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Leslie Mann, Motherless Brooklyn, TIFF, TIFF19, Willem Dafoe

TIFF ’19: The Lighthouse

September 7, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, The Lighthousevfollows the journey of Winslow (Pattinson) and Wake (Dafoe), two lighthouse keepers, who try to maintain their sanity while living in isolation on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Tightly written and directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch), The Lighthousevis a fascinating piece that feels like a throwback to classic post-War noir films. Unlike most modern horror films that insist on bombarding the senses, the film is a slow descent into madness highlighted by strong performances from its cast and a striking visual style. Shot on black and white 35mm film, Lighthouse echoes classic Hitchcock films like Psycho and Rear Window by allowing its characters to slowly lose themselves to their circumstances. What’s more, by shooting in a 1:19 : 1 ratio, the film visually reinforces the claustrophobic atmosphere between the two leads as they battle for screen presence. 

Through its visuals and narrative, Lighthouse is most intent on exploring whether one can ever truly escape their own darkness. Despite Winslow’s desire to return home and start over, the evil around (and within) them continues to grow, giving failure a sense of inevitability. For Winslow, hope becomes a boat that may never reach him as the sea grows angrier.

Filled with psychological terror and bold imagery, The Lighthouse shines brightly. Caught in the grip of a pseudo spiritual enemy, Winslow and Wake fight and claw for supremacy against elements and each other. 

The Lighthouse is currently playing at the Toronto International Film Festival. Upcoming screenings can be viewed here.

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Premieres, TIFF Tagged With: Robert Eggers, Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse, TIFF, Toronto, Toronto International Film Festival, Willem Dafoe

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