Red White & Blue

The movies of 2010 still live
giles edwards
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Re: Red White & Blue

Post by giles edwards »

horror (n.): something that causes a very strong feeling of fear, shock, or disgust

I think Red, White & Blue falls under that remit. If you pick up Kim Newman’s indispensible book Nightmare Movies (soon to be updated!), there’s a whole section on unconventional, urban horrors. It’s as diverse as drama or comedy and shouldn’t be confined just because there’s nothing supernatural in it.

And to be fair to Simon Rumley, the mutant teeth in Teeth were the weapon, not simply the girl’s regular, normal anatomy.

I was deeply impressed when I saw this the first time and liked it even more the second with an audience. Yes, it’s almost punishingly slow burning; yes, very introspective. But it makes you work as an audience and the control of the material, where it all leads is rather astonishing. And that last shot, when you realize why Nate has done what he’s done is quietly, simply and brilliantly devastating.

Rumley’s an eccentric filmmaker, sure but he’s also a really, really talented one that the UK should be proud of.

Also: holy shit, Richard. That’s some intense reaction: are you okay now?
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Re: Red White & Blue

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giles edwards wrote: If you pick up Kim Newman’s indispensible book Nightmare Movies (soon to be updated!)
Giles you just made my day!
There is no delight the equal of dread

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Re: Red White & Blue

Post by Wolfshade »

Heiko wrote:
anyways, so with Frightfest now showing a completely non-horror drama I guess next year we are going to see some romcom?

I'm sure there would have been much more fitting movies out there than this one... :-(
wasn't horror per se, but had a disturbing storyline, and the with killings towards the end the film was veering into slasher territory.

There were far more questionable inclusions this year, ie Isle Of Dogs and Monsters, which really had no horror connections whatsoever.
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Re: Red White & Blue

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Heiko wrote:...with Frightfest now showing a completely non-horror drama I guess next year we are going to see some romcom?

I'm sure there would have been much more fitting movies out there than this one... :-(
C'mon man, i don't think that is fair at all. As a depiction of realistic situation spiralling out of control into real horror and chaos it was as much a horror film as Straw Dogs. Red White and Blue for all it's faults (and I found many) was far more genuinely frightening than the vile I Spit On Your Grave remake which toyed with a veneer of realism, but was ultimately utterly ludicrous nonsense. Personally i found the character of Noah to be the scariest thing in FrightFest, he really chilled me.

The film as a whole I thought was effective, but loaded with pretention. Not my favorite but following the outstanding Bedevilled was going to be hard as I had an extreme emotional reaction to that one (not as extreme as Richard's though - hope your alright now).
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Re: Red White & Blue

Post by goregoregirl »

I know it's called "FrightFest" but it's a genre festival, not specifically a horror festival and a lot of people are forgetting that. Even going way back FrightFest screened The Isle, Donnie Darko, Spider, Cypher, Code 46, The Living & the Dead, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo etc. etc.

I loved Red, White & Blue - proving there's something for everyone.
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Re: Red White & Blue

Post by MaxRenn »

goregoregirl wrote:I know it's called "FrightFest" but it's a genre festival, not specifically a horror festival and a lot of people are forgetting that. Even going way back FrightFest screened The Isle, Donnie Darko, Spider, Cypher, Code 46, The Living & the Dead, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo etc. etc.

I loved Red, White & Blue - proving there's something for everyone.
Absolutely, completely, positively agree with you. The year FrightFest shows a Richard Curtis film is the year we should be complaining. And that's not gonna happen.

Although Alan might try to slip Streetdance 2 in next year, so watch out for that.
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Re: Red White & Blue

Post by Bearded Avenger »

My standout of the fest. For whatever reason this style of film really appeals to me, so from the first few minutes I was hooked.

People are complaining that it's not horror, but for me Red, White & Blue and t like are far more effective as horror genre films than stuff like Hatchet II.
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Re: Red White & Blue

Post by nagelfar »

Don't understand all the love for this one.
The only reason I didn't walk out was the fact, that I was expecting some serious development and not a plot, that had been laid out within the first 30mins and by reading the description in the brochure.
The big "Oh my god, they got married!" twist could be seen from miles away and while I like the Nate character I thought they overplayed it a little, even with his alleged CIA/interrogation history.
Add to that, that I think that Franki's earrings felt totally out of place and the only reason people get upset about the torture scenes is, that there was a kid involved. Could use some serious editing/faster pacing and didn't really fit Frightfest, genre festival or not.
2/10
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Re: Red White & Blue

Post by AdeBrown »

goregoregirl wrote:I know it's called "FrightFest" but it's a genre festival, not specifically a horror festival and a lot of people are forgetting that. Even going way back FrightFest screened The Isle, Donnie Darko, Spider, Cypher, Code 46, The Living & the Dead, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo etc. etc.

I loved Red, White & Blue - proving there's something for everyone.
True words.

I'd forgotten that Code 46 was a FF film and Monsters reminded me very much of that.

I thought Red White & Blue was a very moving portrayal of emotions often overlooked in the genre. Agree that there were some irksome facets - I'd have preferred the lead singer guy to be less of a dick except when not with his Mum,, but found his over-reaction to being told he was HIV+ve to be very realistic. But these did not hamper the main story that was Erica and Nate's story, and an impressive level of substance to what was effectively a revenge tale with two levels of revenge.

In all I found it to be much more plausible take on the psycho that no-one suspects ("he was so quiet") than many of the brutal slash and torture films we've seen over the years - mostly due to the splendid performances of the two leads.
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Re: Red White & Blue

Post by lupogirl »

Rather enjoyed this one. Not as powerful as The Living and The Dead. Still very much watchable. Some great performances and quite a sad story
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Re: Red White % Blue

Post by The Aylmer »

streetrw wrote: - and when I somehow finally arrived at St Pancras station some two hours later, and walked all the way back I couldn't go into the Phoenix.
Oh you bugger Richard. The first and only time in my Frightfest going history that I decide to pop into the Phoenix so I could use it as an opportunity to say goodbye to anyone I missed after The Last Exorcism... and you don't turn up! We all wondered where you'd got to.

Right. Next year no extreme stuff for you matey. Just nice films like Damned By Dawn and Monsters: A Love Story. :wink:

Seriously though. Hope you're feeling a bit better now.
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Re: Red White % Blue

Post by brad1000 »

streetrw wrote:Deep breath. Red White And Blue upset me quite deeply, to the extent that I spent the entire running time completely distressed and thoroughly uncomfortable; as soon as the closing titles started I left the building and couldn't come back. I couldn't face any more films, I didn't return for The Last Exorcism and I simply walked away. I don't even know where I went - the street names were unfamiliar; I was completely lost and I didn't care - and when I somehow finally arrived at St Pancras station some two hours later, and walked all the way back I couldn't go into the Phoenix. I don't know why, I don't know yet what the film did to me, but it shook me so much that if they'd screened it on the Friday, I would have gone home first thing Saturday morning. I am still upset by it. And I don't know why.

Somewhere in Bloomsbury, I cried.

It's a stunning piece of work, certainly my film of the festival and probably the best film of the year. And I never ever want to see it again, and I wish I hadn't seen it at all.
now thats the kind of brilliantly written post that makes me want to see a movie....
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Re: Red White & Blue

Post by chary »

Don't really understand why people thought this film shouldn't be included, with over 25 movies you can cater for all tastes surely?
I liked it, and thought it was a very black comedy of errors that sent the characters spiraling towards their inevitable demises.
I feel that we didn't learn enough about the Nate character, he was obviously proud of the work that he had done, reiterating the fact that he received an honourable discharge but didn't really talk about his feelings, why he didn't want to return to it at the beginning of the film and so its hard to know what his feelings for Erica really are. Did he know for instance that Erica had HIV?
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Re: Red White % Blue

Post by maxmum »

streetrw wrote:Deep breath. Red White And Blue upset me quite deeply, to the extent that I spent the entire running time completely distressed and thoroughly uncomfortable; as soon as the closing titles started I left the building and couldn't come back. I don't know why, I don't know yet what the film did to me, but it shook me

And I never ever want to see it again, and I wish I hadn't seen it at all.
Yeah same here. I was totally distraught and on a complete downer after that film I found it amazingly depressing.

I didn't like it however as I want to be entertained not depressed, I spend most my working life trying to slog my way out of depression and this film isn't my idea of fun. Took me ages to shake off feeling naff after this one.
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Re: Red White & Blue

Post by Alex J »

***Spoilers***

A gritty film dealing with a number of weighty issues (HIV, cancer, social outcasts etc) that builds slowly to the incendiary climax. I loved the realistic, dark tone of the movie and the way that the events spiralled out of control. However, the mid-film cut to the band's story was jarring, while the use of Iraq war veterans is already becoming a cliche. I found the piano score grating as well after a while. I didn't find this as harrowing as I thought it may have been, but this was possibly because it wasn't that easy to be sympathetic to the main characters. 8 / 10
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