Saturday, May 1, 2010

Nightbreed: Yes Please.

Nightbreed is amazing. Let's just leave it at that hmm? It's like watching a gorier version of movies like Little Monsters, Labyrinth, the Never Ending Story AND Big Top Pee Wee. Plus David Cronenberg is the bad guy. And Uncle Keith from One Tree Hill looks less creepy than usual. Score, score annnnd score. It's honestly the most fun and entertained that I've been in a while. This begs the question; why don't people talk about this film more often? I've come up with a few possible answers. One being that people are so displeased with the final cut after it was butchered and marketed as just another slasher movie that they are still broken up about it. And two is that people have FORGOTTEN how great it is.

Nightbreed should be shown to people who believe that CGI is the superior mode of special effects. Of course, I don't know anyone who thinks that, but if they did I would show them this flick in a second. Clive Barker's concept of gore and violence always seems to be on a different level than most. It typically pushes the bar a little further than it should go and yet it works. The gore goes above and beyond to places where most movies would have cut away. Skin being ripped off for example- and up close and personal views of muscles and sinew is something rarely shown even by today's standards. But here it is, and as per usual, it is a vital part to many of the characters.

Now the plot may be confusing to some--so let's just say that there are a bunch of gnarly looking dead creatures living underneath a graveyard and that their dead lives and purpose of being is threatened by David Cronenberg. Yeah I guess that's not the best way to say it...I'll just let Netflix do the talking instead: "Aaron is haunted by nightmares of Midian, a mythical underground of monsters. But his therapy involves a serial-killing psychiatrist who pins his crimes on his patient. When Aaron dies as a result of his doctor's deception, he enters the underworld and joins the Nightbreed---and then leads the species in a revolution." Well said.

The underground world of the Nightbreed is one of the best designed things I've ever seen. Nothing is beautiful by any means but it is still so utterly captivating, that it becomes almost mind boggling. The maze of rope bridges that seem to go on forever, reminds me of the nightmarish underground world of Little Monsters. The scene where Lori is searching for Boone totally reminded of Big Top Pee Wee where we go from room to room and see all the different kinds of circus freaks. It's just all so wonderful, and although the story isn't represented too well--most likely due to the heavy cutting allotted right before it's release--the Nightbreed and their makeup makes that fact not sting as much.

Here are some of those incredible Nightbreeds now!












And while we are on the subject of awesomeness, let's not forget about Star Wars. When looking at the highly ethical and intelligent Detective Joyce-

I couldn't help but wonder where I had seen him before.... Then it hit me--Captain Panaka! ( which I always thought up until now was Captain Binaca).

And then there's Peloquin
who totally looks like one of those guys from Jabba's palace.
Star Wars nerds can identify his name if they so wish.


Well anyways--I love this movie. I do find it odd how quickly the police force and those with guns are to get excited about killing these Nightbreeds. I don't know about you, but I would probably be less likely to laugh and shoot these guys and more likely to run away, especially if something like this entered my peripheral.

And for the record- and as proof that I'm not a weirdo. Uncle Keith must have had some kind of plastic surgery because this dude did not age well at all. He barely looks like the same person!



Ehh maybe it's just that he's kind of ugly. ..Ok I think that is all. Oh! Also, Danny Elfman? Pretty kicking music when Tim Burton isn't involved. I guess he can work without his chief pimp daddy. But yes, Please watch Nightbreed if you haven't seen it in a long while.


13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post! I have always felt that NIGHTBREED is one of the most underrated films out there, and it has been one of my favs since its release. I mean, who wouldn't want to live in a world where the monsters are the heroes? I'm so glad you got to experience the magic of this wonderful film.

Zach S. said...

awesome awesome post! It's so refreshing to see another fan show so much love for such a classic. Carry on triumphantly!

The Mike said...

I'm also a member of the Nightbreed lovin' crew. So much fun, and so overlooked.

smokedog said...

There's a really great book that came out in the 90's called The Nightbreed Chronicles that has "portrait" photos of every character and a little backstory blurb about each one of them.

I seem to recall that there was supposed to be a Director's Cut version of the movie that was supposed to be released, but sadly never saw the light of day.

Rashad Ferguson said...

Great post as usual ☺ Nightbreed is another film that every so many years travels the remake rumor circuit and I hope one day it will complete it’s travels and land on a silver screen near us.

If you are a big fan of the movie, I suggest you get your hands on the screenplay any plot holes, origin stories or issues you have with the movie are covered in the screenplay.

Had the director stuck to the script Nightbreed probably would be considered a classic. When and if the remake comes I hope the new people involved study and dissect the Nightbreed’s script especially when it comes to the Tribe of the Moons…

Emily said...

How is it that I've never seen this movie?? It sounds amazingly awesome- especially given that I love love love Labyrinth, Little Monsters, and The Neverending Story!! (I'm ashamed to say that I have yet to see Big Top Pee Wee). This is immediately being added to my Netflix queue!

In other Pee Wee related news, I found out recently that a theater near me (in CT) will be showing Pee Wee's Big Adventure next weekend! If I don't end up going to NY for my brother's law school graduation I may have to check it out. It must be awesome on the big screen!

Jacko mondo said...

Woah, talk about timing!
I just got Nightbreed the other day!
:D

Anonymous said...

if anyone wants to bring a Director's Cut of Nightbreed to DVD, the full info on how to help Clive Barker and what he has to say about it is here under:

Can Nightbreed Answer 'What's Wrong with Horror Today?'

http://musingthetrauma.blogspot.com/2010/04/midian-awaits-lost-nightbreed-found-and.html

Daniel Hobson said...

Nightbreed and the story Cabal are favourites of mine. Great review. Any more light shone on this movie is good.

Franco Macabro said...

The thing about this movie is that, you go in thinking that all these creatures are going to be the villains, and they actually turn out being the good guys in a strange sort of way.

Its not Clive Barkers best film (I think Lord of Illusions is) but its still a very fun watch. So many monsters roaming about! I couldnt help feeling like this movie was totally edited down...it feels as if a bunch of creatures are missing!

Darkpreacher said...

Clive barker intended for Nightbreed to be a trilogy but sadly due to the lack of interest (imagination) when it was released the follow up films never made it to the storyboard!
Nightbreed is my favourite film of all time so the idea that i will never see its completion breaks my heart!

JimmyZ said...

The recut version of the movie is in the works. I was one of the lucky few at HorrorHound weekend 2010 to see the rough cut of it. It was awesome. About 30 minutes cut from the released version and 60 put in. So it is a radically different movie. They are working on getting it finished, but the trouble is lack of interest from a studio. Which is a shame.

Hard to blame lack of the trilogy though on the films failings. Clive never published beyond the initial Cabal story, so the trilogy itself never saw print. Much like the long awaited finale to the Art trilogy.

JimmyZ
Horror-Web.com
LittleBunnyCthulhu.com

Dr. Theda said...

Hello Dr, Theda here... hope you are well... As I said on my Blog ("Dr. Theda's Crypt" ... Nightbreed is my Favorite movie of all time ... I am looking forward to who you pick as your Three Blogs to present the "Minions of Misery" Award unto....
the Doctor