Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Movie Review: The Quiet Earth (1985)

Matthew C Holmes — Sun, 27 May 2007 10:44:40 EDT

Before we get started, a little caveat for the reader: this may not be the easiest film to find at your standard video rental outlets or libraries. Your best bet will be an online rental service (it's available at Netflix) or a purchase from Amazon. But if you ask me, it is worth it. You may also be scratching your head at the release date. Why should you care about an obscure Kiwi (being of or from New Zealand) science fiction film from 22 years ago? Simple. It is a great film. Not only has it obviously influenced many contemporary films, but it also trumps these films on a variety of levels. Allow me to elaborate.Prior to The Quiet Earth, Geoff Murphy made a handful a good films (Wild Man, Goodbye Pork Pie, UTU) in his native New Zealand. Shortly thereafter he helmed an unfortunate number of Hollywood films (Young Guns 2, Freejack, Under Siege 2, Fortress 2) that may be considered guilty pleasures at best. He was also called upon by fellow Kiwi director Peter Jackson to head up the second unit on all three Lord of the Rings films. So what is the point of this little history lesson? Hollywood kills good directors (John Woo and Sam Raimi, prime examples).But I digress. Despite the a lackluster couple of decades, Geoff Murphy does have a grand if only marginally well-known legacy in The Quiet Earth. Science fiction and horror fans will recognize and appreciate the premise; Zac Hobson (Bruno Lawrence) wakes up one day, goes through the motions like any and every other day, and slowly realizes that he is, inexplicably, the last person on earth. The scenario plays out basically as is expected but it is the manner of the presentation and plotting that make it remarkable.The film ultimately has only three characters, whose dynamic touches on Alfred Hitchcock and Shakespeare without any pretense. Zac’s subtle and deliberate decline into the reality of his new position in the world leads to him swinging from disbelief to depression to mania to megalomania to acceptance and back to disbelief. The storytelling and character interaction allow for empathy without distraction and the science fiction elements are beautifully woven into the fabric of the drama so that the one doesn’t overshadow the other.There are several mysteries involved in the story that are revealed with wonderful precision by the director through a series of well placed flashbacks and the subtlety of mood and movement, but you’ll have to find the film and watch it to understand the full glory.This is not a flashy film. It is, however, a master stroke. It is unfortunate that this film has all but vanished into obscurity along with its director, but they both still exist and there’s always a second wind. Always. Good luck.Year: 1985Director: Geoff MurphyStarring: Bruno Lawrence, Alison Routledge, Pete SmithRated: R

Matthew C Holmes is an unrequited cinephile with delusions of wordsmithing and mild megalomania. A passionate supporter for the forgotten or untrumpeted in film and sometimes literature, Matt can be trusted to always forward knowledge and throw back of shadowed veil of obscurity.

Blogcritics Author: Matthew C Holmes

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Movie Review: The Quiet Earth (1985)