Editorials
Why You Should Chew On ‘Ravenous’ (1999)
Everybody has at least one favorite movie that they feel has been unjustly ignored by film buffs and consumers of popular culture alike. Sometimes, audiences and critics just weren’t ready for a film’s take on certain themes and emotions, or maybe the filmmakers just had the rotten luck of dealing with fickle distributors and unfair release dates, ending up with a product that no one watched. Whatever the case, it’s unfortunate that so many great films are forgotten without ever having had the chance to shine for general audiences. To me, Antonia Bird’s darkly comedic Ravenous is one of these poor movies, which was neglected despite being one of the best cannibal thrillers of all time!
Ravenous stars Guy Pearce in one of his best roles as Second Lieutenant Boyd, a cowardly soldier of the Mexican-American war who’s exiled to a remote northern outpost. As he begins mingling with the strange garrison holed up in the desolate settlement, Boyd and the others learn of an ill-fated caravan that became trapped in the wilderness and turned to cannibalism in order to survive. As the group sets off to search for survivors, they become involved in a supernatural pursuit featuring the Native American legend of the Wendigo and an extremely suspicious Colonel Ives, played to menacing perfection by Robert Carlyle. To spoil any more of this bloodthirsty plot would be a disservice to potential viewers, so suffice to say that things turn ugly fast.
Inspired by the literary works of Dashiell Hammett, Algernon Blackwood and the real life tragedy of the Donner party, Ravenous’ story is a deeply satirical commentary on the limits of human civility and the concept of manifest destiny. Ted Griffin (now known for his work on Ocean’s Eleven) was responsible for this peculiar script, though the final product is apparently immensely different from his original vision. The script sometimes devolves into a mess of tangled plot threads, but it still ultimately works. This chaos is mostly due to some behind-the-scenes drama that almost accidentally gifted us with such an original movie.
Though it was released in 1999, Ravenous had an extremely troubled production that only settled down shortly before the film hit theaters, making it a miracle that such an underrated classic (let alone a coherent film) exists at all. The original plan was to have the project be lead by Macedonian filmmaker Milcho Manchevski, with a promising original script penned by Griffin . However, Manchevski left the production three weeks into shooting, after dealing with constant rewrites, scheduling disputes and studio interference. Eventually, Robert Carlyle recommended that his close friend and collaborator Antonia Bird take up production of the film, and she led the team to a new, darkly humorous vision that takes more inspiration from Looney Tunes than conventional period pieces and horror movies. This ushered the way to a mesmerizing movie that may not be entirely consistent, but is always compelling.
Hell, even the film’s profoundly bizarre and memorable soundtrack was subject to controversy, as composers Damon Albarn (yes, the co-founder of the popular animated band Gorillaz) and Michael Nyman were forced to compete for credit due to increasingly confusing production demands. Nevertheless, this unintended collaboration resulted in a phenomenal selection of music, and possibly one of the best movie soundtracks of all time. Nyman and Albarn juxtapose silly banjo compositions with epic instrumentals as the tracks attempt to keep up with (and enhance) the film’s wildly fluctuating tone, greatly contributing to the experience. I still frequently listen to these versatile tracks, especially as background music for writing, and have even used to them to set the mood for tabletop RPGs! It’s just that good.
Music isn’t the only impressive part of Ravenous, as Bird’s deliberate pacing and camera placement take a decidedly offbeat approach to what could otherwise have been a straightforward slasher movie. This weird balance of campy action and genuine tension are what make Ravenous such a unique experience, though it’s also what made the film so off-putting for viewers back in 1999, as the movie was both a critical and commercial failure. Of course, over the years a few critics have claimed that this is one of the best undiscovered classics of the 90s, but not that many people have watched it since its original release.
Either way, the movie is still an exceptionally human and atmospheric take on the myth of the Wendigo, despite not featuring a traditional incarnation of the Native American monster onscreen. Though supernatural cannibalistic forces are definitely at work, the Wendigo here is more of a metaphor than a flesh and blood ghoul. That’s why, despite the humor, this snowy thriller still boasts some deeply disturbing themes and imagery, and would satisfy any horror hound looking for some substance with his visual meal.
Now, you can’t discuss Ravenous without bringing up the surprisingly solid performances from the entire cast, not just from Pearce and Carlyle (though the interaction between these two is certainly the heart of the film). Both David Arquette and the late John Spencer have notable roles in the film, and almost every minor character is at the very least interesting, which is a rare instance in horror movies in general. Despite its flaws, the script also does a great job at characterizing these unfortunate victims, as there’s more to the people than meets the eye.
If you can stomach this brutal yet witty tale of a primitive, dog-eat-dog America, you’ll be rewarded with a chilling yet entertaining gem that serves as proof that it’s more important for a story to be consistently interesting than traditionally “good”. It may be flawed, but all these qualities suggest that Ravenous contained a burst of creative lightning that likely won’t happen again, especially when you consider the muddled backstory behind the production. This is the kind of film that compels you to love it and its faults as well.
And that, my friends, is why you should watch Ravenous. Luckily for you, it’s streaming on Netflix right now, so what are you waiting for?
Editorials
‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel
The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.
The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.
Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.
With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).
It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.
The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.
The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.
Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.
Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.
Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.
The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.
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