the blog of nathan loding

I grew up on the original Clash of the Titans (1981). It’s corny by some of today’s standard, but the movie still holds up overall. The story sticks remarkably close to it’s mythical roots, though it does take it’s own creative embellishments along the way. Ray Harryhausen’s effects work is still amazing to me. I can watch the original over and over. I will never watch the remake again.

What I wanted when I sat down to watch The Wolfman was quite simple: some gore, a good (no, great) effect when transitioning, and some gothic imagery. What I got was exactly that – and nothing more. I must admit that I enjoyed myself throughout. Yes, it’s mindless, and brought nothing new to the story. But it was fun, violent, and dark.

The vision of the world after apocalypse is nothing new to cinema. Nor was it to books when McCarthy’s original book was published. A gray world that is desolate and foreboding, ashy and violent. Gangs run amuck, taking hostages; few good men still exist, the hardships of their new life taking obvious tolls. The difference with The Road is that it’s personal and up-close. The Road has managed to take the essence of the book and present it to us successfully on the screen.