Malédiction des Enfants du Village du Damné

Went over to Michelle's to watch a double feature of Village of the Damned (the original one) and Children of the Damned tonight. The former stands up to repeated viewings, although because of who I was watching it with, I made more cracks about the film than I otherwise would have. The latter movie I was seeing for the first time, and although I thought it was an interesting inversion of the plot of the first film, I also thought it suffered a lack of coherant plot, as well as of a lead actor as charming as George Sanders. Where the first film was a lesson in economy and brevity, the "sequel" (and that's a very problematic word to use in this case, since it seemed to have virtually nothing in common with the original, save the title and a children hive-mind; even the explanations for the children's abilities were different) seemed to plod on, spouting Big Themes, and having the Messiah Babies die at the end, victims of the sins of humankind. At the end of Children... we are made to believe that these children just wanted to live their lives on their own terms, and that they were no threat to mankind. Only this doesn't wash; the kids in this movie killed a lot more people than the children in the original, as well as allowing a dog to die, which is even worse. They also kidnapped the leader kid's aunt, and made a weapon that could drive men completely insane, which was solar powered and played like a Moog. Given the evidence, it seems entirely logical to think that they pose a direct threat to humanity.

Changing the explanation from an alien invasion to a massive jump in human evolution also made no sense. And honestly, I think the kids from the first movie (lets call them the Evil Aryan Babies) could wipe the floor with the Messiah Babies. I was hoping that the sequel would be written with more imagination, and for a while, what with the possession of the dog and the aunt, it seemed to be -- because honestly, if I were that psychic, I can so believe that I would have numerous animal minions to do my bidding, like a meglomaniacal Noah, with the dipsomania or nudity issues -- but then comes the Moog, which makes no sense. Is building sophisticated, solar-powered sonic weaponry an evolutionary improvement? If so, then all those Noise bands have got a leg up on the evolutionary ladder. And don't get me started about the fact that the Messiah Babies are basically the United Colors of Benneton.

Now if I were doing a Damned movie, I would make them emotionally engaged and loving kids, and then I would get them to adolescence. But then I guess all I would have would be X-Men, or maybe Super-Breakfast Club.

We also watched BASEketball; I think that's enough said about that. Although I admit it was better than Boat Trip, which was foisted upon me on Friday Movie Night at Julie's. There are a lot of things I could say about that movie, but it's really not worth the effort. After a certain number of really bad movies, can the Oscars demand his award back?

I'm reading Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett.

Double-Feature Songs: "The Happening" by The Pixies; and "The Happening" by Diana Ross & the Supremes.