Reviews
“Lot No. 249” Review – “A Ghost Story for Christmas” Returns with Fun Mummy Horror
Mark Gatiss’ revival of A Ghost Story for Christmas, a British strand of one-off specials infrequently aired around the holidays since 1971, continues with what is possibly its best entry yet: Lot No. 249. The League of Gentlemen alum has maintained a substantial interest in horror, much like comrades Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, but unlike the Inside No. 9 duo, Gatiss digs up neglected works from classic British literature — before now, namely M. R. James — and reintroduces them to contemporary audiences.
In Lot No. 249, Kit Harrington plays the prying university student who acts on suspicions about his odd neighbor (Freddie Fox). The Egyptologist in question is not only guilty of certain “perversions” he is also using a reanimated mummy — the story’s otherwise nameless namesake — to carry out his wicked plans. This includes murdering his various rivals on campus. The protagonist later intervenes, only to then make a startling, if not belated realization about his enemy.
Lot No. 249 isn’t as obscure as previous offerings from the Gatiss era of A Ghost Story for Christmas; devoted readers of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s oeuvre know it well. Fans of Tales from the Darkside: The Movie would also recognize this late 19th-century short story, seeing as it was the basis of that famous anthology’s first segment. Unlike that version, though, Gatiss’ take is fairly faithful to the original story.
Image: Kit Harrington, Freddie Fox and Colin Ryan respectively as Abercrombie Smith, Edward Bellingham and Monkhouse Lee in Lot No. 249.
To see a mummy on screen these days is a rare treat. After all, these imaginary reworkings of Ancient Egyptian mummies have been used less and less in horror films and television over the years. Compared to their fellow Universal icons, these undead creatures lack the versatility of vampires and werewolves. And to some, they seem silly by comparison and are best left in the past. Admittedly, Lot No. 249 doesn’t forego the most stereotypical depiction of mummies — the mummy here is very much a sinister monster hellbent on killing — but Doyle’s story has layers that give its swathed antagonist more value. And by extension, Gatiss taps into the story’s themes of imperialism and sexuality with insight, skill and, most importantly, a sense of humor.
Gatiss has confessed how difficult it is to get these beloved specials funded. Even knowing the financial limitations going on behind the scenes, Lot No. 249 does a splendid job of world-building, setting the mood, and fleshing out colorful characters in such a short amount of time (barely half an hour, in fact). The leads even start to feel like old and weird friends by the end of this macabre tale. Harrington imbues his character with an unforeseen volume of life and wit, whereas Fox is downright delicious as the mummy’s malicious master. While the superb performances are indeed a large reason as to why this Ghost Story works so well, the monster shouldn’t be overlooked. The mummy is menacing despite its Gothic handling. A desiccated and bandaged hand entering from off screen and reaching for someone’s throat is more effective than initially expected.
Gatiss took creative license with Lot No. 249, particularly in the conclusion (and an unnamed side character who is implied to be Sherlock Holmes). Doyle’s short story doesn’t quite deliver the narrative punch required for a visual adaptation. So this special favorably expands on the original outcome all the while satisfying Gatiss’ wish for dark fun. Before then, A Ghost Story for Christmas had a tendency to be serious. Maybe too much so. This break from routine, however, is a pleasant surprise and a great way to buck tradition.
Image: Freddie Fox as Edward Bellingham in Lot No. 249.
Home Video
‘Killer Klowns from Outer Space’ 4K Review – It’s Time to Upgrade This Movie One More Time
Scream Factory has just released Killer Klowns from Outer Space in 4K to celebrate its 35th Anniversary, and what an exciting time to be a fan of the 1980s movie. With the recent surge of Klownapalooza happening in the past few years, including tons of merch made available by Spirit Halloween and the much-anticipated video game scheduled to be released next month, it seems apropos for the Klowns to finally make their 4K debut.
In 1988, the Chiodo Brothers (consisting of siblings Stephen, Charles and Edward) took their seemingly ridiculous premise of having otherworldly monsters in the form of circus clowns land on Earth to wreak havoc on a quiet little town and produced it into a full-length motion picture. Inspired by creature features and B-movies alike, their unconventional film with a deliberately hokey title would garner an initially significant following that evolved into a major cult classic close to four decades later.
In Killer Klowns, After seeing what they perceive to be a comet crash down in the woods, Mike (Grant Cramer, Hardbodies, New Year’s Evil) and Debbie (Suzanne Snyder, Weird Science, Return of the Living Dead Part 2) investigate, only to find a totally misplaced Big Top circus tent with some high-tech interior décor and loads of cotton candy. It all seems like a fun time for all, until Mike discovers that the cotton candy contains the bloody corpses of local townsfolk.
The couple seek help from the local police, who of course do not believe their whacky tale. It doesn’t help that the officers include the grumpy Curtis Mooney (played by the late John Vernon in a role almost as memorable as the Dean he portrayed in Animal House) and Debbie’s ex, Dave Hanson (John Allen Nelson, former Baywatch hunk). Hanson is more receptive to their accusations, because he still has a huge soft spot for Debbie, but also has some serious ill will towards Mike for being his replacement. This dynamic is understandably super awkward and a nice little subplot to get you to care about those characters, because who doesn’t enjoy a nice little love triangle. On the flip side, Mooney believes it is only a promotional stunt by Mike’s BFFs, the offbeat Terenzi Brothers (Michael S. Siegel and Peter Licassi), who sell ice cream out of their truck adorned with a giant clown head.
Soon the Klowns get down on the town and start their reign of terror. Will they take over the planet and turn it into one giant cotton candy cocoon? Will Dave win Debbie back or just pummel Mike to let his aggression out? Will the Terenzi Brothers score with the ladies without needing to bribe them with unlimited ice cream? Will Mooney ever crack a smile? All these questions and more are answered in the 88-minute running time.
The Chiodo Brothers created a bizarre yet beautiful carnival of creativity with the Killer Klowns universe that is a major part of the film’s appeal and hardcore fanbase. Let’s start with the Klown headliners— Jumbo, Fatso, Shorty (my boo), Rudy, Spikey, Slim, Bibbo, and Chubby. They are all great villains, vastly unique in look, personality, and weaponry. And that weaponry dreamt up by the Chiodo Brothers is as innovative as the Klowns themselves. The Klowns hunt their prey with cotton candy cocoon guns, flesh-eating popcorn, lethal shadow puppetry, super-sized mallets, animated balloon animals, and boxing gloves with some serious extra “pop.” And if you haven’t seen the film and you think those gadgets sound cool, well they are even more awesome to see in action. Even if the special effects are from the ’80s.
All this talk about extraterrestrial clowns and circus weaponry can easily overshadow our human stars. Kramer, Snyder, Nelson, and Mooney are all fantastic as the leads, playing their parts perfectly. And then there are appearances by veteran actor Royal Dano (Ghoulies 2) and Christopher Titus (Titus), well before his popularity hit its stride.
Now I am sure you are wondering how Scream Factory did with the transfer, and you will be pleased to know that they did an awesome job. The picture is absolutely gorgeous and quite a step up from the previous Blu-ray release. Considering that legacy Blu-ray looked pretty good, you can imagine how great the Dolby Vision is for this 4K presentation. Wish the audio was Dolby Atmos instead of DTS, but not a deal breaker by any means because the sound is fine.
The 4K also comes with a Blu-ray that houses the bonus features. There are not a ton of extras, but the ones they have are very interesting, even if previously released: a making-of featurette, an SFX featurette and a featurette dedicated to the film’s score. There are also deleted scenes, bloopers, audio commentary with the Chiodo Brothers, Easter Eggs, and more.
If you are ready to open your wallet and grab a copy, there are a few editions to choose from. You can either grab the standard edition, the deluxe edition that includes an exclusive slipcover, two posters and a Prism sticker, or the limited edition SteelBook—which this review is based on.
You can order one of these versions now at shoutfactory.com.
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