Look Blue Go Purple, ''A Request'', live 1983, Dunedin, NZ

4/21/20.

I posted about The Puddle way back in 2015.  Then I simply thought they were one of the earlier bands in the Fishrider (Dunedin, New Zealand) stable of musicians.  I had no idea that they were Flying Nun royalty.  The band has released this digital only (for now) live recording from 1985 when the band was supporting The Chills on a two-day gig to Invercargill, New Zealand.  The Puddle recorded “Pop Lib” the next week and Flying Nun released it (here is a link to some physical copies available on Bandcamp).

I heard the flute and thought of Look Blue Go Purple (lo and behold Norma O’Malley plays flute here).  Then I heard the motorik drive of Snapper and The Clean (not surprisingly Peter Gutteridge plays keys here).  The melodies and arrangements also recall the work of Sneaky Feelings, The Verlaines, and The Able Tasmans.

George Henderson’s brother Ian also plays in The Puddle and runs the amazing Fishrider Records label.

Top 100 results from the exhaustive version of that same test. (It actually turned out fairly similar, all things considered).

Rosalind Walker (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina): 88% Debora (Baby Driver): 88% Belle (Beauty and the Beast): 87% Penny (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog): 87% Anna Bates (Downton Abbey): 86% Glenn Rhee (The Walking Dead): 86% Rachel Chu (Crazy Rich Asians): 86% Deanna Troi (Star Trek: The Next Generation): 86% Hilda Spellman (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina): 86% Eliza Hamilton (Hamilton): 86% Linda Martin (Lucifer): 86% Mary Margaret Blanchard (Once Upon a Time): 86% Hernando Fuentes (Sense8): 86% Waverly Earp (Wynonna Earp): 86% Elisa Esposito (The Shape of Water): 86% Pam Beesly (The Office): 85% Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings): 85% Beth March (Little Women): 85% Chien-Po (Mulan): 85% Valentine Wiggin (Ender's Game): 85% Belle French (Once Upon a Time): 85% Charlie Bucket (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory): 85% Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender): 84% Peeta Mellark (The Hunger Games): 84% Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer): 84% Maid Marian (Robin Hood): 84% Francis Mulcahy (M*A*S*H): 84% Alexis Castle (Castle): 84% Mamá Coco (Coco): 84% Annie January (The Boys): 84% Skylar (Good Will Hunting): 84% Samwell Tarly (Game of Thrones): 83% Iroh (Avatar: The Last Airbender): 83% Norma Jennings (Twin Peaks): 83% Friar Tuck (Robin Hood): 83% Marmee March (Little Women): 83% Bo Peep (Toy Story): 83% William H. 'Shakespeare' Hill (This Is Us): 83% Monty Green (The 100): 83% Mia Toretto (Fast & Furious): 83% Kara Danvers (Supergirl): 83% Doc (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs): 83% Tracy Mills (Se7en): 83% Helsinki (Money Heist): 83% Dr. Sean Maguire (Good Will Hunting): 83% Elizabeth Burke (White Collar): 83% Chuny Marquez (ER): 83% Aimee Finecky (The Spectacular Now): 83% Ginny Weasley (Harry Potter): 82% Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter): 82% Arthur Weasley (Harry Potter): 82% Georgiana Darcy (Pride and Prejudice): 82% Jane Bennet (Pride and Prejudice): 82% Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender): 82% Dr. Ellie Sattler (Jurassic Park): 82% Mrs. Hudson (Sherlock): 82% Ariadne (Inception): 82% Esme Cullen (Twilight): 82% Rebecca Pearson (This Is Us): 82% Sara Tancredi (Prison Break): 82% Dorothy Gale (The Wizard of Oz): 82% Dr. Claire Browne (The Good Doctor): 82% Annie Porter (Speed): 82% Sam Button (The Perks of Being a Wallflower): 82% Kala Dandekar (Sense8): 82% Céline (Before Sunrise): 82% Horatio (Hamlet): 82% Angela Montenegro (Bones): 82% Marianne (Portrait of a Lady on Fire): 82% Ally Maine (A Star Is Born): 82% Molly Weasley (Harry Potter): 81% Donna Moss (The West Wing): 81% Kasidy Yates (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine): 81% Ann Perkins (Parks and Recreation): 81% Beatrice 'Beadie' Russell (The Wire): 81% Daniel Jackson (Stargate SG-1): 81% Alice Cullen (Twilight): 81% Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump): 81% Ted Mullens (Schitt's Creek): 81% Oliver Hampton (How To Get Away With Murder): 81% Ben Hargreeves (The Umbrella Academy): 81% Bonnie Bennett (The Vampire Diaries): 81% Cameron James (10 Things I Hate About You): 81% Marie Kreutz (The Bourne Identity): 81% Dana Polk (The Cabin in the Woods): 81% Andrea Sachs (The Devil Wears Prada): 81% Jane Villanueva (Jane the Virgin): 81% Amy Antsler (Booksmart): 81% Penelope Garcia (Criminal Minds): 81% Juliet O'Hara (Psych): 81% Annie Reed (Sleepless in Seattle): 81% Benjamin Button (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button): 81% Hazel Grace Lancaster (The Fault in Our Stars): 81% Dobby (Harry Potter): 80% George O'Malley (Grey's Anatomy): 80% Frodo Baggins (Lord of the Rings): 80% Kaylee Frye (Firefly + Serenity): 80% Rita Bennett (Dexter): 80% The Oracle (The Matrix): 80% Meg March (Little Women): 80%

norma * campion * chapter three trial * r.e: berloiz, pan, smee

"Hm hm... I must admit, I am not too convinced by any of the theories we have for these cuts at all! Ahehe." 

Campion was unnervingly silent for a good few moments after that little outburst, as if she really might just air her grievance and then leave every else to figure out what the hell to do with that. 

"A ritual this, or mimicking claws that... well, I suppose I find the ritual a little harder to believe..! Surely if there was such an intent - rushed final moments of this entire charade or not - there would be more setup in place? As opposed to beaten up rooms and everything else that betrays hastiness here? As for the mimicking of claws... perhaps so, dear O'Malley, but then why spend so long on them? So much deliberateness, compared to the raking we might imagine of the natural thing? Forgive me- I am hardly one with actual claws myself to determine whether the action is more of a hasty rake or not than those clean cuts with so much time obvious in them..." 

This is a dialogue spacer.

"The alternative, of course, is that our culprit wanted to frame their abnormal feats as that of a shapeshifter. We do have a rather obvious scapegoat in that circumstance of poor Woe, do we not? That arm wound you think to mention, dear [Pan]- it may well be the slip in that sort of setup we could be looking for. A welt..." 

But her musing was interrupted by an idle glance to Smee as they spoke up again; one that held as she tipped her head curiously.

"Goodness, are we really looking to focus so intently on small traits again? Ahehe..! Ah, but you did not mind me doing as much for diversion last time we were in here, did you? I suppose that answers it..." 

A light sigh, one that almost betrayed disappointment towards Smee.

"But..! If we are to begin blaming dear Knuckles for the presence of a bandage, should we begin accusing her for the actions of myself and Holly, too? Given that as long as we have known her, she always seems to have some kind of bandage on her face or otherwise? I will not pretend to speak for Knuckles' sense of self preservation, given what we have witnessed previously- but I will maintain that there is a much broader picture to be looked at, given we are still determining the exact capabilities of our culprit. Or culprits, apparently? Ahehe..!" 

That concept wasn't really something to sound so taken by, but Campion was doing so anyway. 

The Lodgers (2017)

El género de terror bebe de muchas fuentes diferentes, pero quizá una de las más usadas, es el de la historia de "casa mal-rollera con maldición incorporada". Y de eso va esta "The Lodgers", que hoy vamos a comentar.

Canciones infantiles para perder el sueño

En su cuarta incursión en el género de terror/suspense de su director, Brian O'Malley,  nos presenta un bonito cuento gótico de suspense, en el que dos hermanos gemelos viven atrapados en una casa, bajo la amenaza de una "presencia" (no diré nada mas para no desvelar sorpresas)

Corre el año 1920 en un pueblo rural de Irlanda, y los hermanos gemelos Rachel (la preciosa Charlotte Vega) y Edward (un inquietante Bill Milner ) han pasado casi toda su vida alejados del mundo en su, destartalada, mansión familiar. Pero la podredumbre y la ruina no son la única de sus preocupaciones. Con una hermosa y triste canción infantil, nos desvelan que todo les irá bien si cumplen con tres sencillas normas: - Deben de estar siempre en sus habitaciones al sonar las doce de la noche.    - Nunca deben permitir que un extraño cruce su puerta. - Deben de estar siempre juntos, ya que si uno se aleja demasiado...morirá. Incumplir una de estas tres reglas, traerá consecuencias nefastas a estas dos alegrías de la huerta :

  (Cuando bajas a comer muerto de hambre y descubres que toca lentejas)

Hermanos gemelos, reglas misteriosas, maldición familiar, casa ruinosa con ambientación muy conseguida y una amenazante presencia fantasmal, son ingredientes más que suficientes para lograr que la cinta funcione, a poco que el guión sea sólido. Y es ahí cuando llega el tropiezo: The Lodgers no acaba de ser todo lo buena que debería, por lo precipitado y confuso de su desenlace.

Las prisas de última hora

La calma y cuidado con el que se había tratado a la historia, se pierden al llegar el último tercio y, en parte, es por culpa  del maltrato que recibe el personaje de Sean (Eugene Simon) por parte del guión.

Sean, que ha perdido una pierna tras estar en la guerra, regresa a casa para recibir el desprecio de todos los habitantes del pueblo. Luego está su historia de amor con Rachel que, cuando menos, es difícil de entender por cómo de pronto se súper-quieren. Pero claro, con todo lo que tiene montado en casa Rachel, lo único que puede aportarle no son más que nuevos y complicados disgustos al pobre chaval.

  (Tía, que dejes de preguntarme cosas de la temporada nueva Game of Thrones, pesada!)

Pero Sean no es el único desliz en este cuento, ya que el desenlace pasa tan de puntillas por la casilla de la "explicación a todo", que te deja algo frío.

Eso sí, el clímax es de los buenos.

Durante todo el metraje, los "sustos" y momentos de tensión, aunque breves, resultaban ser muy convincentes. Y al llegar la hora de la verdad, en su tramo final, The Lodgers se saca de la chistera algunas imágenes tan bellas como aterradoras, que lucen muy bien (a pesar de que siga sin gustarme la forma en la que cierran la historia)

Conclusiones y despedidas

Como resumen, decir que esta cinta irlandesa podría haber sido mucho más de lo que es, pero por esos errores puntuales, se queda en un más que decente "aprobado". Con un guión más directo, podría haber seguido la estela de la fabulosa "La Mujer de Negro", en cuanto a ambientación, fotografía y sensación de miedo constante se refiere. Pero el personaje de Sean, algunos problemillas con el ritmo narrativo en sus primeros dos tercios de metraje y su extraña conclusión, le hacen perder demasiados puntos.

Lo Mejor: La ambientación, la música y los (escasos) momentos de tensión, que están muy logrados y funcionan a la perfección.

Lo Peor: Problemillas con el CGI, la conclusión, Sean y la sensación de que la peli podría haber sido mucho mejor.  

Valoración : 5´5/10

                (Vámonos, Rachel, que esta gente querrá cerrar)

Jose Incoherente @The_morwen