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Death Around You: Retrospective On Michael Mann’s ‘The Keep’
It’s always interesting looking through an acclaimed director’s filmography. Like others such as Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson, and more, Michael Mann of Heat, Miami Vice, and Collateral, has some beginnings in the horror genre. The sophomore directorial film of Mann after the success of the crime movie Thief was the adaptation of the World War II set historical horror/fantasy book by F. Paul Wilson, The Keep. Sadly, Mann’s original vision for the film was disrupted due to problems on and off-set, creating numerous time and monetary set-backs.
Image via IMDB
Paramount Studios stepped in and stopped Mann from using his original three hour cut of the film. The movie ending up edited down to around an hour and a half after going through focus groups and test screenings. The final product ending up a box-office bomb and critical disaster disavowed by everyone involved, from Mann himself, to original book author, F. Paul Wilson. Over the years however, The Keep has become something of a cult film thanks in no small part to Mann’s moody directing style, the cast including Scott Glenn and Sir Ian McKellen, the stunning creature effects, and the haunting score of Tangerine Dream. Creating a bizarre and dream-like movie that persists to this day.
Image via Youtube
The story follows a group of German soldiers sent to set up a base in a small Transylvanian village, led by the pragmatic Captain Woermann (Jurgen Prochnow). Establishing themselves in an ancient citadel adorned with nickel crosses, a couple of greedy soldiers accidentally unleash an evil entity after trying to loot the keep of its crosses. An event that shocks the mysterious Glaeken (Scott Glenn) from across several countries and sends him on a journey to the keep. As the bodies of soldier pile up, a cruel SS platoon led by the sadistic Major Kaempffer (Gabriel Byrne) takes control and torments the villagers, believing the deaths to be the work of partisans. Eventually sending for a former villager and Jewish historian, Theodore Cuza (Ian McKellen) and his daughter, Eva (Alberta Watson) from the concentration camp they were imprisoned in. Cuza making contact with the being that called Molasar, who strengthens his diseased body and promises to rid the world of the Nazis if Cuza frees him. The plotlines leading to a conflict between all players as they converge upon the keep.
Image via IMDB
It’s a strange story, but one that endures thanks to its themes, paralleling the evils of fascism to that of a supernatural being like Molasar. Rather than weighing one more than the other, both are equated as being similar forces of darkness upon the world. Cuza more than willing to help the demon escape his prison if it means ending Hitler and the Nazis who have targeted his family and his people. Molasar himself is a memorable devil as well. First appearing as energy that sucks humans of their lifeforce, slowly regaining strength and appearing in a ghostly fog, then as a fleshless husk, and finally as a giant, golem-like being with red light burning in his eyes. Despite his strength, acting as a manipulator in order to make his escape from his ancient prison. Ian McKellen standing out as Cuza, and even having a Gandalf-esque confrontation with Molasar toward the end.
The dream-like atmosphere of the film has been an underlying cause for The Keep‘s popularity. The opening scene being an oddly slow shot of the German’s descending upon Dinu Pass while set to a militaristic track from Tangerine Dream. The score by the synth band being one of their best. The theme that plays as the German’s accidentally unleash Molasar being absolutely haunting, and contrasting the gothic style of the plot with the electronic music.
Unfortunately, The Keep has yet to have a proper DVD/Blu-Ray release, only making it as far as VHS/Laserdisc, with the studios/creator’s disdain for the project making it likely that we’ll never see an updated version. Fortunately, it is available for digital rental via Amazon, Youtube, and iTunes. Despite its flaws, it is a bizarre and dream-like film well worth experiencing.
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Movies
New ‘MaXXXine’ Image is Pure 80s Costume Core
A24 has unveiled a captivating new image of Mia Goth in her role as the titular character in “MaXXXine”. This release comes approximately a year and a half after the previous installment in Ti West’s expansive horror saga, which covers more than seven decades.
His latest continues the story arc of freckle-faced aspiring starlet Maxine Minx from the first film X which took place in Texas in 1979. With stars in her eyes and blood on her hands, Maxine moves into a new decade and a new city, Hollywood, in pursuit of an acting career, “But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”
The photo below is the latest snapshot released from the film and shows Maxine in full Thunderdome drag amid a crowd of teased hair and rebellious 80s fashion.
MaXXXine is set to open in theaters on July 5.
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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage
It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.
Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:
“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”
Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.
FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024
Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).
No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.
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Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix
The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.
If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.
Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.
Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.
Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.
Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.
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