The Golem

The place to discuss FrightFest 2018 - Dates this year are 23 - 27th August.
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Alex J
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The Golem

Post by Alex J »

A little slow-going and also predictable in some ways, but nonetheless a well-told tale with some satisfying action and kill scenes. Just would have like a longer, gorier ending sequence with a few more exploding heads! Some nice imagery and good to see the old plague masks being used to good effect. 8 / 10
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
Paxton
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Re: The Golem

Post by Paxton »

Beautiful photography and nice performance from leading lady but it was a little slow and it shortchanged us on the mayhem when the golem was unleashed. I sensed that the directors we're maybe being too respectful to the Hebrew myths and religions and missed the opportunity to deliver something really visceral
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The Soapmaker
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Re: The Golem

Post by The Soapmaker »

I was expecting this to be badly plotted and historically-inaccurate looking, in a Hammer of the Gods kind of way... but at least there'd be the compensation of a big clay monster going "HULK SMASH!". Or words to that effect.

Instead it's heavy on the history (accurate or not, I have no idea), low on action and the bloody Golem is a small boy who can't act for toffee. Why, Paz brothers, why? Gosh it was boring. I did fall asleep... but I don't think I missed all the interesting bits.

Still, Hani Furstenberg has very nice hair.
gazadams
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Re: The Golem

Post by gazadams »

Great film and i liked the period setting . Some good fx and nice story , recommended !
ChrisReynolds
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Re: The Golem

Post by ChrisReynolds »

The silent version from 1920 is a seminal moment in horror film-making but I think it's one of the silent horrors that has aged worst, so there was plenty of potential for a modern remake. The initial scene promises much, with a hulking golem apparently having finished his rampage through a synagogue, but the film then never delivers this. Instead we get a slow slog of a historical drama with the focus of the film being on gender roles and antisemitism in 18th century Eastern Europe. The golem being an unscary boy who is smeared with mud for a couple of scenes before he takes a bath is a total short-changing of the viewer.

Other than that, everything is predictable and muted, with the action being underwhelming apart from one stand-out moment where the golem boy kills a rabbi with a shofar. I don't know why this played the main screen, and as the penultimate film no less (!), as it doesn't represent much of an improvement from the Paz Brothers' JeruZalem which similarly wasted the potential of what should have been a unique Jewish perspective on horror tropes.
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WraithApe
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Re: The Golem

Post by WraithApe »

4/10. This modern re-imagining of the silent era classic is The Paz Brothers' follow up to their holy land found footage run around, Jeruzalem. As with that film, they bring their own cultural heritage to bear - but in this case, not nearly enough. Where the orginal Golem was an incredible spectacle for the time, full of Jewish iconography, this new take could really be set anywhere and at any time, it's so generic. We're tantalized at the start with a shot of a towering mud man but alas, this is a flashback; it's not our golem. Instead, we get a muddy little boy, who, after receiving a sponge bath, becomes just a little boy and never stops being just a little boy, despite the best efforts of CG enhanced dark veins and freaky eyes.
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TheDukeAbides
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Re: The Golem

Post by TheDukeAbides »

Indeed my lasting impression from this film as a small boy who somehow managed to act worse than any children that appeared in the Star Wars prequels.

It was entertaining enough to be fair, bit of a trim required and probably up the violence even more if I were to rate it higher than average.
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