Peter’s Movie Pick of the Week: The Lost City of Z
From director James Gray (We Own The Night) comes one of the most interesting movies of 2017.
From director James Gray (We Own The Night) comes one of the most interesting movies of 2017.
Growing up in the 90s, I think my generation was the last to really know and appreciate what a horror television show host could be. Sure, Svengoolie is doing a terrific job these days, but I think most kids are more apt to look through Netflix. When I was a kid, I would sneak into the living room when my parents were asleep so I could watch horror movies on late night TV. One of my earliest memories was a movie with an old horror host fighting vampires. Later on, I would find out that this movie was Fright Night.
Crafting a sequel to any successful film is a daunting task. Fan expectations can be high, bizarre and even unreasonable. This is a weight that a creator must ignore to a certain extent in order to produce something of value. Perhaps the key to a good sequel is taking the established world and then throwing something unexpected at it. Think The Empire Strikes Back and The Dark Knight. Both take their prequels and throw a few more wrenches into the works. Respect is maintained for the previous work but the audience is provided with a more complex narrative created by both films, or as many as the line maintains. In the best case scenario, you end up with work that shatters the perception of the original and improves on it. Creating a sequel to a great film, which doesn’t necessarily have room for improvement, must be even harder.